Michael Markovitz is a faculty member of the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in Johannesburg and is the founding director of the GIBS Media Leadership Think Tank – an independent research and advocacy platform providing solutions for African media in support of democracy. He is regarded as one of South Africa’s leading experts on media and tech policy. In 2022, Michael was recognised by Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies as one of their top 50 alumni in the school’s first 50 years, honouring his three-decade contribution to independent broadcasting. In the same year. Michael completed a five-year term on the board of the public broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
In July 2023 he convened a global conference at GIBS which led to the adoption of Big Tech and Journalism: Principles for Fair Compensation, now endorsed by 101 individuals and organisations from 28 countries. Michael has served in various roles in the public and private sectors, including as special adviser to the chairperson of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and as a senior executive at Primedia for eight years where he headed up the media group’s digital businesses. In 2025 he launched the inaugural Executive Programme in Media Leadership at GIBS.
Substack: https://michaelmarkovitz.substack.com/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelmarkovitz