Allister Sparks

Political Analyst

Born in Cathcart

Allister Sparks is a veteran writer, journalist and political commentator. He founded the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism and became its Executive Director from 1992 to 1997. He was the successful editor of The Rand Daily Mail from 1977 - 1981 during the countries political unrest. He was South African correspondent for The Washington Post, The Observer and Holland's leading newspaper, NRC Handelsblad, from 1981 to 1992. He was named International Editor of the Year in 1979 and won Britain's David Blundy Award for foreign reporting in 1985. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting of racial unrest in South Africa during 1985. He has published critically-acclaimed books including, 'Tomorrow is Another Country' (1996); 'The Mind of South Africa' (1991);'Beyond the Miracle' (University of Chicago Press 2006); 'First Drafts' (2009). In 1997, he became the editor of the Corporation’s television news and current affairs. In that capacity, he launched a 24-hour Africa news channel, called SABC-Africa, for satellite broadcast to the entire African continent.