Tim Modise (full name Timothy Modise, born 8 September 1961 in Pretoria, South Africa) is a South African veteran journalist, broadcaster, public speaker, and philanthropist. He has worked in broadcast media for over three decades, across radio and television stations including the SABC, M-Net, Primedia, BBC, and Power FM, covering formats ranging from music to current affairs and talk shows. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2011.
Broadcasting career
Modise began his broadcasting career in music-formatted stations before transitioning to the talk format in 1988. He was a pioneer of politically oriented talk radio, participating extensively in coverage of South Africa's transition from apartheid to constitutional democracy. His work included reporting on the unbanning of the ANC and other liberation movements, the release of political prisoners, and the negotiations that led to the 1994 elections. He provided voter education on his programmes and hosted election debates. He was a panelist on the Mandela/De Klerk debate, which was broadcast to a global audience of 800 million. He has interviewed all five South African Presidents since 1990.
Modise continues to cover South African public affairs through his company FGPMedia, producing his own television shows and a radio show. He hosts current affairs programmes on eNCA called The Modise Network and on Soweto TV called Tonight with Tim Modise.
Other work
Modise has worked as a political analyst for AMB Securities & HSBC and as a columnist for City Press newspaper. He was appointed founding chairman of Proudly South African by President Thabo Mbeki. He served as Chief Communications Officer for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and later became CEO of Sizwe IT, a technology company. He has started a digital publication called Modise.net to promote entrepreneurship and the South African economy. He has moderated and facilitated conferences and MC'd major events including the Cape Town Jazz Festival, the Mandela 85 Birthday Ubuntu Awards, and the Loerie Awards.
Recognition
Modise has received numerous awards for community development, communication, broadcasting, and reconciliation, including from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as a human rights award from the Jaime Brunet Foundation at the University of Navarra in Spain.
Education and personal life
He holds an Advanced Management Programme (AMP) diploma from Henley Business School, a Marketing Certificate from UNISA, and a Financial Management Diploma from Damelin. Modise lives in Kyalami, Johannesburg, and is involved in education and health sectors in his home community of Garankuwa as patron of the Tim Modise Primary School, a member of Sefako Makgatho University, and a board member of George Mukhari Hospital.
