Lerato Mbele
Lerato Mbele attended St Mary's School in Waverly, Johannesburg. After finishing at this prestigious school, she studied Political Science and International Relations. She focused on Africa's developing role on the international stage.
After the completion of Bachelors, she started as an intern at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). This was followed by a fairly rapid rise up the SABC's rungs and she landed up hosting a show called The Ambassadors. This was a current affairs show that dealt with various diplomatic issues that the African continent faced.
Taking a break from broadcasting Mbele travelled to the United Kingdom. There she applied herself to a Master's Degree in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, at the University of London.
Returning home, she worked for the South African Institute of International Affairs as the head of the Africa Democracy Programme. At the same time, she worked as a columnist for City Press newspaper where she pushed for further discussion on African Affairs.
With the launch of CNBC Africa, she was lured back into the world of broadcast. During her time with CNBC Africa Mbele has hosted shows such as The Other Dimension, Business AM, CNBC Specials and the World Economic Forum.
She has had the privilege of interviewing a range of leaders including three Nobel Peace Prize winners who were Kofi Annan, FW De Klerk and Mohammed Yunus. She has also met and interviewed various leaders such as Graca Machel, Donald Kaberuka (President African Development Bank), Morgan Tsvangirai (Prime Minister of Zimbabwe) and South African President Jacob Zuma.
Among her accolades is the fact that she is a Chevening Scholar and a regular speaker and moderator at conferences around African Development, in 2009 hosting the Promise of Leadership Summit with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Currently Lerato is also hosting the most popular current affairs series which investigates issues affecting the nation including corruption, health, education, labour, politics, arts and culture and sports. The show is aired on SABC1 at 21:30 Thursdays and is called Cutting Edge
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Page Last Updated 30 March 2010
