Professor Gilbert Motsaathebe has a long history in academia and media practice, having worked and lived for many years in countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, India and the United Arab Emirates. He holds a PhD in Film and Media Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand, an MA in Communication with distinction from North-West University, a BA in Communication and a BA Honours in Communication from North-West University. He is a deputy dean of teaching and learning at NWU and a professor of Journalism, Film and Television studies. He started his career at BOP Television in Mmabatho where he was a News Producer and Sub-Editor for the station’s primetime news before being recruited by e-TV as a News Producer. After a stint at eTV, Motsaathebe left for the United Kingdom on a 2-year working holiday visa, and upon his return, joined the Cape Peninsula University of Technology as a lecturer and rose through the ranks before taking up teaching positions at several institutions in Nagasaki, Japan. In the intervening years, he was a SEPHIS Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS) in Bangalore, India, before working in the Chief Directorate of Communication, North West Office of the Premier. He was later recruited by the United Arab Emirates University in the UAE where he served as Associate Professor in the Department of Communication. He later relocated homeward and worked for the University of Johannesburg Prof Motsaathebe is a C2 NRF-rated researcher with over 100 peer-reviewed scholarly articles and chapters in top-notch journals and compendiums. He has also published 19 books (including novels and academic books) with reputable publishers such as Palgrave Macmillan, Rowman & Littlefield /Lexington Books, UNISA Press and Routledge. As part of his academic citizenship, Gilbert has delivered numerous papers at national and international conferences and over ten keynote addresses in countries such as the USA, Kenya, Kenya, Japan and India. His research interests oscillate on Indigenous Language Media, the plight of Indigenous communities, African languages, African rhetoric, multiculturalism, media, gender and representation, journalism education and practice, and post-apartheid films. He is the founder and co-editor of the International Journal of Indigenous Language Media and Discourse. Before that, he was the Editor-in-Chief of Communicare — Journal for Communication Studies in Africa. In 2016 he was nominated for the most coveted International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) award in the area of Governance and Accountability, joining a prestigious list of alumni who include FW DeKLerk, Margaret Thatcher and Sir Ketumile Masire, among other luminaries. He has also been awarded several research grants including the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) for cross-country projects in which he was a Principal Investigator. As part of his industry involvement, he serves on the Panel of Judges for South Africa’s premier annual competition of journalists, the Vodacom Journalist of the Year (VJOY) and on editorial and advisory boards of several professional organisations and learned societies. He also served on the Board of Council for the South African Language Practitioners' Council (SALPC) where he ws the Deputy Chair of the Research and Policy Development Committee. He has provided consultancy services to national and international organisations, including the National School of Government and the European Union. Prof Motsaathebe also serves on the North West Steering Committee of the Moral Regeneration Movement, a civil society initiative that nurtures positive values and combats moral decay, where he is Head of Campaigns and Programme.
