Nkosinathi Biko – Keynote Speaker

Nkosinathi Biko was born on the 11th of May 1971 in Port Elizabeth South Africa. He is the Chief Executive Officer of the Steve Biko Foundation. He is a founder member of the board of trustees and chaired the Steve Biko Foundation for the first five years.

He graduated from the University of Cape Town where he pursued a Bachelor of Social Science (Economics) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing Management. Mr. Biko studied Property Development and Finance through the University of the Witwatersrand.

Nkosinathi has expansive work experience across a range of media platforms. After graduating from the University of Cape Town, he joined the Sowetan, the biggest black daily newspaper as the Deputy Marketing Manager. His media interest expanded to broadcast media where he produced a number of television documentaries and youth programmes for SABC, Bop TV and e-TV. With the convergence of print and broadcast media on the Internet platform, he took up the position of E-commerce product manager with Primedia’s I-africa.com, one of the first consumer portals to be launched in South Africa. Along with four others he was charged with the responsibility of launching a Metropolis Transactive, the first local Business-to-Business trading platform, where he served as the E-commerce Strategy Manager. His primary responsibilities included the formulation and packaging of web-based instructional materials linked to the new paradigm of life-long learning, as well as creating linkages between jobseekers and employment opportunities.

He holds directorships in a number of local and international companies, including Afrithon Group, Kei Fleet Solutions (Pty) Ltd, Red River Developments LLC, African Legend Housing. Red River and African Legend are involved in the delivery of innovative housing solutions in the Southern Africa.

Nkosinathi Biko is a member of a number of non-profit institutions, sits on the board of the South African History Archives and is the Chairperson of the Business Place eQonce, an initiative aimed at assisting youth and women entrepreneurs.

He is a published writer and speaker on the international circuit. To this end he has given papers at conferences such as the, Turn of the Century Conference: Focus on South Africa – Nantes, France in 1999, Human Rights in South Africa – Connecticut, USA in 2000, Memory and Healing – Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2001, Indigenous Australia – Sydney Australia in 2002, Human Rights in the Media –Connecticut, USA in 2004 and Community Radio Forum – Johannesburg, SA in 2004.

Nkosinathi Biko has given lectures amongst others at the UCT Alumni Forum, University of KZN, Macalister College, University of Minnesota, University of Connecticut, University of California, California State University, Stanford University, University of San Francisco, Utah State University, Georgia State University and World Trade Centre, Atlanta.