Meet the Team

William Bird

Director & Ashoka Fellow

William studied at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg where he obtained his BA and Honours degree in Drama and Film. He worked in television after completing his studies. Unable to resist the lure of media monitoring, William started with some part time monitoring for the Media Monitoring Project in 1995 and after leaving television joined the MMP as a researcher.

At MMP William 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 has also overseen the name change of the MMP to Media Monitoring Africa in 2008.

In his spare time William likes to monitor the media when not otherwise distracted by his young son.

George Kalu

Children’s Project Coordinator

George was born and grew up in Kenya before moving to South Africa in 1995.He attained his BA Degree from Rhodes University Grahamstown majoring in Journalism & Media Studies and Political Science. In 2002 he graduated with a Post Graduate Diploma in International Studies also from Rhodes University.

George joined the Media Monitoring Project late 2003 as a seasonal worker, but in 2004 he became full-time staff member at MMP. At MMP, George monitors and analyses news content, he has also been involved in administrating and overseeing various monitoring projects. He gives limited technical support and does all the electronic media recording and archiving.

Sandra Roberts

Research Manager

Sandra worked as a researcher in various corporate environments before joining the non-profit sector in 2003. Firstly, for SANGONeT, as a research / information coordinator, then as the organisation’s research coordinator, overseeing all research related activities. She joined the Media Monitoring Project in 2005 as a project coordinator.  Sandra has her Masters cum laude in Sociology from the University of Johannesburg.  Based on her masters research she published two peer-reviewed papers. Sandra is currently reading (and reading and reading) her doctorate on Mozambican migrants in Johannesburg at the University of Johannesburg with a thesis called “Social trust in a risky environment: Mozambicans in Johannesburg”.

She is the proud mother of two white Swiss Shepherds.

Wellington Radu

Junior Research Manager

Wellington attained an honours degree in Sociology from the University of Zimbabwe in 2004.  He also received a certificate in Human Rights Theory and Practice from the University of Cape Town.  Before joining the Media Monitoring Project he tutored in the University of Zimbabwe’s Sociology Department. 

Wellington’s genius on defense in soccer has earned him the nickname ‘Boots’.

Zweli Mngadi

Administration and Projects Officer


Adolphus AKA Zweli Mngadi joined Media Monitoring Africa in September 2008 as Administration and Projects Officer. He is currently studying Human Resource Management, he previously studied music theory with the Royal School of Music in 2006 and is also an HIV and AIDS activist. Zweli has a passion for gospel music.

Ronell Singh

Specialised Children’s Monitoring Project Coordinator


Ronell studied Journalism at the Durban University of Technology where she attained National Diploma in Journalism, thereafter studied towards a Bachelor of Technology in Journalism. During her studies, she worked as a volunteer for a community radio station for a year and half as a cub reporter, then a news reader.

Ronell then worked for the Independent Newspapers for one year before moving to Johannesburg where she was an intern for e.tv. Not being able to resist the human rights element of reporting, Ronell joined MMA in 2009 to work on the children’s project

Prinola Govenden

Policy and Quality of News unit Coordinator

Prinola studied at Wits University, obtaining a BA Media Studies, Her passion for media issues led her to further her studies with a BA (Hons) Media Studies. She got her MA in Media Studies cum laude in 2009, with a dissertation entitled “ ”Toothless regulator: A critical analysis of the ICASA’s regulation of the SABC so that it functions as a public service broadcaster”. Whist completing her studies she worked as a Media Consultant for the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, as well as, a Researcher for the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung organisation.

Prinola’s has a passion for all things rugby, especially the Natal Sharks!!!

Ayabulela Poro

Research Intern

Ayabulela Poro completed his national diploma in Journalism at the Walter Sisulu University in the in the Eastern Cape in 2009.  As part of his diploma, he completed his training with MMA for six months and has since been employed as a research intern.

Zandile Ndlovu

Operations Manager

Zandile is a business administration specialist. She attained a BBA Finance degree from Solusi University in 2004. After four years of banking and treasury experience in the Zimbabwean and South African markets, Zandile joined the non-profit sector in 2008 as a Development Consultant and travelled widely throughout SADC. She then joined NOAH (Nurturing Orphans of Aids for Humanity) as a Fundraiser and Stakeholder Liaison. Zandile joined Media Monitoring Africa in 2009 as the Operations Manager.

She is currently studying towards a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification. Zandile has a passion for languages and is a French and Portuguese language student at Wits University. In her spare time she lecturers English as a second language to international students. She is affectionately known at MMA as “Zaza”.