Members
Working group members
Coordinator
Kate Skinner is the Campaign Coordinator. Kate was spokesperson for SADTU post the 1994 elections. Since then she has worked as Advocacy Manager for the rural water and sanitation NGO, Mvula Trust and as a senior researcher and new projects manager for Kagiso Education Television and independent production house, Traffic. She has been on the Board of the Freedom of Expression Institute for the last decade. Kate has been the Coordinator of SOS since its inception.
Broadcasting Electronic Media and Allied Workers Union (BEMAWU)
Contact Person: Hannes du Buisson
Hannes is the President of BEMAWU.
Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
Contact Person: Patrick Craven
Patrick Craven has worked for COSATU since May 2000 when he was appointed editor of The Shopsteward and other publications. He was promoted to the position of National Spokesperson in 2006. He has also been involved in other aspects of COSATU’s communications strategy including: liaising with the Labour-Community Radio Project; representing COSATU on the Board of the Workers World Media Productions; representing COSATU in the “The SOS: Supporting Public Broadcasting” Coalition; and serving on a Department of Communications Task Team to look into the future of broadcasting policy.
Communication Workers Union (CWU)
Contact person: Matankana Motapo
Matankana is the Spokesperson for the Communications Worker Union (CWU).
Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI)
Contact person: Elston Seppie
Elston is the new director at FXI. He started in April 2011.
Freedom of Expression Network (FXN)
Contact person: Siphiwe Segodi
Siphiwe got involved with the PAC of Azania as a learner in 1989 and became secretary of a branch in 2001. He held a number of responsibilities as a member of the Anti-Privatisation Forum and is currently the project officer for the Freedom of Expression Network (FXN); facilitated by the Freedom of Expression Institute. The Freedom of Expression Network is a coalition of various community based organisations and social movements. He is pursuing a BA degree in Policy Studies with the University of South Africa.
Media activists
Jeanette Minnie
Jeanette Minnie is an International freedom of expression activist and media consultant. She has consulted to the Danish-based NGO, International Media Support (IMS). Further, she was the Southern African Regional Editor of the OSI/AfriMAP Survey of Public Broadcasting in Africa. She was the founding Executive Director of the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) in South Africa; later the Regional Director of the Windhoek-based Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA). In 2006/7 she served as a member of the UN Economic Commission for Africa’s STREAM (Strengthening Africa's Media) Task Force and in 2007/8 on the founding steering committee of the African Media Initiative (AMI).
Media academics
Prof. Tawana Kupe
Professor Tawana Kupe was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Witwatersrand in 2007. Tawana obtained a Master of Arts in English from the University of Zimbabwe in 1988 and also obtained his Doctor of Laws degree in Media Studies from the University of Oslo, Norway in 1997. He began his career in 1988 at the University of Zimbabwe as a part- time lecturer. He then moved to Rhodes University where he lectured from 1999 to 2001. He joined Wits in 2002 to head the Media Studies Department.
Media Monitoring Africa (MMA)
Contact person: William Bird
William is the Director of MMA. He has overseen or been directly involved in over 100 media monitoring projects on subjects ranging from gender based violence, HIV, and racism to children and the media. William has also completed overseeing the data analysis of the biggest civil society media monitoring exercise in the world – the Global Media Monitoring Project. For this project 76 countries monitored gender around the world. William is an Ashoka Fellow.
Media Institute of South Africa, South Africa Chapter – (MISA-SA)
Contact person: Faiza Abrahams-Smith
Faiza Abrahams-Smith joined MISA-SA chapter in April 2008 in the capacity as National Director. Prior to joining MISA, Faiza was the CEO of the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) 2003-2006. She has also worked for the Institute for Advancement of Journalism (IAJ) from 1993 -1997. Whilst at the IAJ, she completed a series of training courses in radio broadcast and assisted with training in gender and the media, advocacy, capacity building and media monitoring.
National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA)
Contact person: Castro Ngobese
Castro is the National Spokesperson for the National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) and the former spokesperson of the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA).
South African Screen Federation (SASFED)
Contact person: Marc Schwinges
Marc co-founded the company he runs Underdog Productions. He joined the Independent Producers Organisation (IPO) in 2000 and became its chairperson in 2002. Since 2002 he has been the treasurer for the Documentary Film Makers Association. Marc is currently Deputy Chair of SASFED.
Contact person: Rehad Desai
Rehad is a Producer/Director who runs his own company, Uhuru Productions. He has worked as a trade union organiser, a health and safety/media officer for a chemical workers union and a Director of a HIV prevention NGO. In 1997 he completed his Masters Degree in Social History at the University of the Witwatersrand. Rehad then entered the TV and film industry as a TV current affairs journalist, and soon after moved on to focus much of his energy on historical and socio -political documentary film. He is also festival director for Tri –Continental Film Festival and a SASFED Board member and Executive Committee member of the Independent Producers Organisation (IPO).
Workers World Media Productions (WWMP)
Contact person: Kgapa Mabusela
Kgapa Mabusela is Project Coordinator responsible for the Labour Community Radio Project. He graduated from University of Witwatersrand with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Politics and Law. He was the first executive director of Khutsong Youth Centre from 1998 – 2000. In 2000 he joined loveLife as a Programmes Officer and National Outreach Manager. He also served as a member of Global HIV Prevention Working Group from 2002 – 2005. In 2009 he joined Workers World Media Productions. Kgapa is the founding secretary of the Merafong Demarcation Forum, a former secretary of the SACP Khutsong Branch, and currently the deputy chairperson of the School Governing Body (SGB) at Danie Theron Laerskool.
SOS Organisational Members
Alternative Information and Development Centre
Bemawu
Cape Town Television
Congress of South African Trade Unions
Communication Workers’ Union
Community Media Trust (CMT)
Creative Workers Union of South Africa
Federation of Unions of South Africa
Ecumenical Service for Socio-Economic Transformation
Freedom of Expression Institute
Freedom of Expression Network
Gender Links
Gender and Media Southern Africa
IDASA
The Institute for the Advancement of Journalism
Link Centre
Media Monitoring Africa
Media Workers Association of South Africa
The Media Institute of Southern Africa – South Africa
National Community Radio Forum
The Southern African NGO Network
The South African Screen Federation
Workers World Media Project
Alternative Information and Development Centre
The Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC) aims to strengthen the movement for social justice through the production of alternative knowledge. AIDC enhances the institutional capacity of community media organisations and the communication capacity of progressive civil society organisations to facilitate a dialogue giving voice to the poor and marginalized locally and internationally.
Contact Person: Mark Weinberg
Telephone: +27 21 447-5770
Bemawu
The Broadcast, Electronic, Media & Allied Workers Union (BEMAWU) is an independent specialist trade union primarily organized in the broadcast and media sector, with the majority of its members employed by the SABC. BEMAWU is not affiliated to any federation and it does not support any political party or ideology.
BEMAWU has approximately 1000 members at the SABC which includes journalists, camerapersons, technical staff and administrative staff. BEMAWU also has members in the print media, private radio stations, Sentech, Multichoice and among freelancers.
BEMAWU exists to serve the interests of its members and the citizens of South Africa as best as possible. BEMAWU believes that union members employed by the SABC deserve a stable, professional, fair, properly managed and non-discriminatory workplace free of political interference on board, executive and management level by any political party and/or its members. Further, BEMAWU believes citizens deserve a democratic broadcaster that is free of political bias, blacklisting, control by the state and/or political parties and interference for political gain by any person or party. We need a public broadcaster that complies with the relevant legislation and is committed to free and fair reporting on issues that have an impact on the lives of our people.
Contact Person: Hannes du Buisson - President
Telephone: +27 12 661-3992
Cape Town Television
Cape Town TV - known as CTV - is a non-profit, community-based television station aimed at the greater Cape Town metropolitan area. Founded by over 200 non-profit organisations in 2006, CTV is committed to providing community access to the powerful medium of television as a tool to promote human rights, social justice and community cultural development.
Contact Person: Karen Thorne - Station Manager
Telephone: +27 21 448-0448
Communication Workers’ Union
The Communication Workers' Union of South Africa boasts some 44,000 members spread across most of the communication industry of South Africa. CWU is a relatively young union formed in May 1996. However, the formation of CWU dates back to the early 1980's when the then Post Office Employees Association (PEASA), Post and Telecommunication Workers Association (POTWA) and South African Post Telecommunication Employees Association (SAPTEA) held merger meetings.
Contact Person: Matankana Mothapo - Spokesperson
Telephone : +27 11 838-4848
Community Media Trust
Community Media Trust is a not-for-profit company that has been producing HIV/AIDS public health materials since 1998 under the Siyayinqoba Beat It! brand. UNAIDS has twice cited CMT as an example of best practice.
Contact Person: Lucilla Blankenberg - Deputy Director,
Telephone: +27 11 788-9163.
www.beatit.co.za.
Congress of South African Trade Unions
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) was launched in December 1985 after four years of unity talks. At its launch COSATU represented less than half a million workers organised in 33 unions. COSATU currently has more than two million workers, of whom at least 1.8 million are paid up. COSATU is one of the fastest growing trade union movements in the world.
Contact Person: Patrick Craven - Spokesperson
Telephone: +27 11 339-4911
Creative Workers Union of South Africa
The Creative Workers Union of South Africa (CWUSA) represents the needs of artists and serves as a platform for expression and networking for artists such as singers, presenters, painters, dancers, musicians, etc. as well as all other creative workers including craftworkers, photographers, promoters, agents, and technical staff etc. The union was established through the merger between the Performing Arts Workers Equity and the Musician Union of South Africa. This is a process that began in 2005 and culminated in CWUSA's Launch Congress on 7-9 September 2007 in Johannesburg. CWUSA is affiliated to COSATU.
Contact Person: Oupa Lebogo – General Secretary
Telephone : +27 11 339-1676
Ecumenical Service for Socio-Economic Transformation
The Ecumentical Service for Socio-Economic Transformation (ESSET) is an independent ecumenical organisation established in 1996 with a mandate rooted in the quest for a just society that prioritizes the needs of the poor. ESSET seeks to attain this through interlinked processes aimed at challenging the churches to be more involved in work strengthening socio-economic justice.
Contact Person: Thabo Koole - Marketing & Communications
Telephone: +27 11 833-1190
Federation of Unions of South Africa
The Mission of the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) is to:
- Act and campaign in solidarity and to promote and protect the common interests and rights of affiliates in general;
- Represent and promote the interests of affiliates at international, national, provincial and other appropriate levels; and
- Maintain its political independence at all times.
FEDUSA promotes a democratic labour environment and society, free from any unfair discrimination against gender, religion, race, culture or political beliefs or any other form of unfair discrimination against any individual or group of people.
Contact Person: Teixeira George - Media Department
Telephone: +27 11 279-1800
Freedom of Expression Institute
The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) advocates and protects the right to freedom of expression as one of South Africa's fundamental constitutional rights. This also extends to opposing censorship, fighting for the right of equal access to information and knowledge, proactively developing policy to ensure the free flow of information and fighting for media diversity.
Contact Person: Ayesha Kajee - Executive Director
Telephone: +27 11 482 1913
Freedom of Expression Network
The Freedom of Expression Network (FXN) is a nationwide collective that unites social movements and other organisations (mainly of the poor) around issues of state repression, censorship and criminalisation of dissent. The network was formed in 2006 as a reaction to acts of suppression by the state during service delivery protests.
Contact Person: Siphiwe Segodi - Coordinator
Telephone: +27 11 482 1913
Gender Links
Gender Links (GL) is a Southern African NGO founded in 2001 that is committed to a region in which women and men are able to participate equally in all aspects of public and private life in accordance with the provisions of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Gender and Development. With its headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, and satellite offices in Mauritius and Botswana, and project sites in Lesotho, Madagascar, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe GL locates its mission within the broader framework of strengthening democracy in the region through ensuring the equal and effective participation of all citizens, especially women, whose views and voices have been systematically marginalised.
Contact Person: Colleen Lowe Morna - Executive Director
Telephone: +27 11 622 2877
Gender and Media Southern Africa
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The Gender and Media Southern Africa (GEMSA) network is an umbrella organisation of individuals and institutions who work to promote gender equality in and through the media. GEMSA has its roots in the historic Southern African Gender and Media Summit attended by 184 participants from around the region as well as international observers in September 2004. GEMSA’s programmes include: advocacy and training, policy, research and monitoring of gender awareness in the media, and training on media literacy.
GEMSA also hosts the South African network - South African Gender and Media (SAGEM) at its offices in Johannesburg. Together with other country chapters in the region GEMSA aims to bring gender justice to the media and raise awareness through the media on all social and developmental issues.
Contact Person: Pinky Magau - Administrator
Telephone: +27 11 622 7986
Institute for Advancement of Journalism
The Institute for Advancement of Journalism (IAJ) was established in 1992 to help improve journalism, just as South Africa entered a new democratic era. Since then, thousands of people have passed through its doors.
IAJ places special emphasis on interactive learning, giving participants scope to develop their skills through discussion, role-play and hands-on exercises. IAJ's courses offer an opportunity to learn new skills and refresh old ones, to network and to debate.
Contact Person: Leela Parbhoo
Telephone: +27 11 484 1765/6/7
Idasa
Idasa is an independent public interest organization committed to promoting sustainable democracy based on active citizenship, democratic institutions and social justice. Idasa is a recognised public interest organisation in Africa. It maintains international links with many similar organisations through the World Movement for Democracy.
Contact Person: Mr. Paul Graham - Executive Director
Telephone: +27 12 392 0500 (Pretoria office) or +27 21 467 7600 (Cape Town office)
Link Centre
The Link Centre is the leading research and training body in the field of information and communications technology (ICT) policy, regulation and management in Southern Africa.
Link focuses on capacity building in the public sector and development arenas through quality training, applied research and consultancy services necessary to maximise the benefits of the Information Society and the Knowledge Economy. Link is a founding partner in Research ICT Africa! and hosts the South African Chapter of Creative Commons as well as the ACA2K Project.
Contact Person: Charley Lewis – Senior lecturer
Media Monitoring Africa
Media Monitoring Africa's vision is for a responsible, quality media that enables an engaged and informed citizenry in Africa and across the world. MMA aims to promote the development of a free, fair, ethical and critical media culture in South Africa and the rest of the continent.
The three key areas that MMA seeks to address through a human rights-based approach are:
- Media Ethics;
- Media Quality; and
- Media Freedom.
Contact People: William Bird - Director
Telephone: +2711 788-1278
Media Institute of Southern Africa – South Africa
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) is a dynamic, member-driven network of national chapters coordinated by a professional regional secretariat which seeks - through monitoring, training, capacity building, research and the distribution of information - to foster free, independent and diverse media throughout Southern Africa in the service of democracy and development as stated in the Windhoek Declaration and the African Charter on Broadcasting. MISA-South Africa is one of 11 chapters.
MISA seeks ways in which to promote the free flow of information and co-operation between media workers, as a principal means of nurturing democracy and human rights in Africa. The role of the MISA is primarily one of a coordinator, facilitator and communicator, and for this reason MISA aims to work together with all like-minded organisations and individuals to achieve a genuinely free and pluralistic media in Southern Africa.
Contact people: Faiza Abrahams Smith - Director/ Tumelo Tshabalala - Information Officer
Telephone: +27 11 339 6767
Media Workers Association of South Africa (MWASA)
MWASA is a trade union which organises workers in ICT, newspaper, printing, packaging and allied industries. It is a National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU) affiliate. MWASA was formed in 1977 and was re-launched in its present form in 1983.
Contact Person: General Secretary - Tuwani Gumani.
Contact email generalsecretary@mwasa.org.za
Telephone: +27 11 337-1019
National Community Radio Forum
The National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) is a national, membership-based association of community radio stations and support service organisations. The NCRF was established in 1993 to lobby for the diversification of the airwaves in South Africa and to promote the development and growth of the community radio sector. Since then the membership of the NCRF has grown to 105 community radio stations.
Contact Person: Franklin Huizies - Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: +27 11 403-4336
Sangonet
The Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT) was founded in 1987. Over the past 23 years it has developed into a dynamic civil society organisation with a history closely linked to the social and political changes experienced by South Africa during its transition to democracy. SANGONeT is still one of very few NGOs in Africa involved in the field of information communication technologies (ICTs) and continues to serve civil society with a wide range of ICT products and services.
Conctact person: David Barnard - Director
Telephone: +2711 403-4935
South African Screen Federation
The South African Screen Federation (SASFED) is a federation of independent film, television and audiovisual content industry organisations constituted in March 2006. Its current full members are:
- Documentary Filmmakers Association (DFA)
- Independent Producers Association (IPO)
- The Official South African Casting Association (OSCA SA)
- Personal Managers Association (PMA)
- South African Guild of Actors (SAGA)
- South African Guild of Editors (SAGE)
- Writers Guild of South Africa (WGSA)
- Women in Film and Television, SA (WIFTSA)
- Women of the Sun (WOS)
SASFED is the official country representative to FEPACI, the Pan-African Federation of Filmmakers and is formally affiliated to SOS: Supporting Public Broadcasting and, the TVIEC - Television Industry Emergency Coalition.
Contact people:
Communications: Marc Schwinges
Co-Chairs: Kgomotso Matsunyane & Feizel Mamdoo
Vice Chair: Eve Rantseli
Treasurer: Miriam Sha
Co-Secretaries: Thandi Brewer & Khalid Shamis
Telephone: +27 83 901 2000
South African Screen Federation - Affiliates
Documentary Filmmakers Association SA
The Documentary Filmmakers’ Association (DFA) was established to nurture and develop the interests of documentary filmmakers in South Africa. The documentary film genre is unique in that it can stimulate public discourse, reflect on social, political, cultural and current events in a very immediate way. The DFA aims to create a unified voice for documentary filmmakers and gain recognition for this genre of filmmaking in South Africa.
Tel: +27 (83) 901-2000
Independent Producers Organisation
The Independent Producers Organisation (IPO) was created to represent, promote and protect the specific needs and interests of producers. The IPO is committed to:
- Represent and promote the economic and cultural interests of the South African film, television, and video production industry locally, continentally and abroad
- Develop, support and implement growth strategies for the industry to increase local and international markets
- Promote the development and establishment of aspirant and emergent producers and production companies
- Overcome historical disparities within the industry, based on race, gender, disability and sexual orientation
- Promote the industry for the good of the broader South African economy
- Promote a stable and viable industrial environment within the industry
- Encourage professionalism and high technical and creative standards in the industry
- Keep producers at the forefront of technological, economic and cultural changes
- Interact with and create negotiating channels and standard agreements with related industry organisations (e.g. actors’ and crew unions, writers’ and musicians’ guilds,broadcasters, distributors, etc.)
- Regulate relations between members and employees or trade unions
- Promote health and safety standards for the industry
- Play a key role in education, training and enhancement of skills within the industry
- Inform and enlighten non-industry organisations (e.g. educational institutions, government bodies, financial institutions, etc.) about the industry.
Contact person: Dionne Cronin - Administrator
Telephone: +27 11 719 4000
Personal Managers Association
The Personal Manager's Association (PMA) is a community of actors agents consisting of members, associate and affiliate members. The PMA's goal is to guide actors in their professional careers and to uphold the professional standards of performers. The PMA assists with the standardisation of fees and working conditions in the areas of film, television,voice and theatre, commercials and industrial theatre.
Telephone: +2784 602 7191
South African Guild Of Actors
The South African Guild Of Actors (SAGA) was established to:
- Regulate relations between actors and film/television/theatre/radio producers including any film/television/theatre/radio producers' organistions
- Perform and protect interests of members
- Co-operate with or join local or international organaisations where it is in the interests of SAGA to do so
- Promote, support or oppose any proposed legislative or other measures affecting the interests of its members
- Use every legitimate means to induce actors to become members
- Provide legal assistance to members in connection with their contracts with film/television/theatre/radio producers
- Encourage the settlement of disputes between members and film/television/theatre producers or organisations of such by conciliation, mediation or artribation
- Organise and represent members of SAGA for the purpose of collective bargaining
- Do such lawful things as may appear to be in the interests of SAGA and its members and which are not inconsistent with the objects or any matter specifically povided for in its constituition
- Borrow, invest, lend, subscribe or donate money for the furtherance of the objects of SAGA
- Establish educational, social and charitable enterprises for the general welfare and advancement of SAGA members
Telephone: +27 11 726 6076 or +2711 726 6079
South African Guild Of Editors
The South African Guild of Editors (SAGE) is a voluntary, non-profit organization which represents film and video picture editors, assistant editors and sound editors. In its 10 years of existence it has become a recognised player in the Film and Television industry.
Telephone: +27 83 367 9330
The Official South African Casting Association
OSCASA represents the specific area of background artistes (extras), characters and kids predominantly on a non-professional basis.
Telephone: +2721 5564289
Women in Film and Television South Africa
Women in Film and Television SA (WIFTSA) is a network of women dedicated to advancing the professional development and empowerment of women working in the film and television industry. WIFTSA is an inclusive organization for women of all backgrounds. We are the South African chapter of WIFT international, an organisation that spans 14 countries and has over ten thousand members.
Telephone: +27 21 794 2286
Women of the Sun (WoS)
WoS is a member based non-profit support and advocacy organisation for African women filmmakers. The organisation is based in South Africa but works actively with members in Nigeria and Zimbabwe in addition to its members in South Africa.
The organisation is project driven and works to create a forum for African women filmmakers to share their visions and experiences. It provides an arena for networking, skills development and capacity building through training programs and for cultural and information exchange, often via commercial distribution networks, local and international industry organizations and NGOs.
WoS’s vision is to spearhead the advancement of African women filmmakers across the globe. Its goal is to advocate and increase the presence of African women in the industries of film and TV and to support creative and technical professionalism among them.
Telephone: +27 11 487 3036
Writer’s Guild of South Africa
The Writers' Guild of South Africa (WGSA) replaces The South African Scriptwriters Association (SASWA) that was formed in 1974. WGSA was established on 8 May 2009. It remains the only association in South Africa with the sole purpose of assisting, protecting and promoting performance writers in the local film, television, radio, stage, animation and new media (internet – mobile and digital distribution, and gaming) industries.
Workers World Media Project
Workers World Media Project (WWMP) is a non-profit, independent labour media production house, governed by the trade union movement. It serves the trade union movement and broader working class constituencies. Its mission is to provide quality, relative and informative media and access to the media for the labour movement and working class people.
Contact Person: Martin Jansen - Director
Telephone: +271 4472727 (Cape Town) or +2711 3361877 (Johannesburg)