Trevor Ncube

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Trevor Ncube
Trevor Ncube
BornTrevor Vusumuzi Ncube
NationalityZimbabwe
EducationUniversity of Zimbabwe
Occupation
  • Journalist
  • Entrepreneur.
Known forOwning AMH and Mail & Guardian
Spouse(s)Nyaradzo Ncube,
Eva Muzuva(former)
ChildrenKeith Ncube, Maya Ncube

Trevor Vusumuzi Ncube is a journalist, show host and Zimbabwean entrepreneur. He is the founder, owner, and executive chairman of Alpha Media Holdings and show host of In Conversation With Trevor. He is also the former owner of the Mail & Guardian Media Group (South Africa)[1]

Following the November 2017 coup in Zimbabwe, Harmonised elections in July 2018, and countrywide protests in January 2019, Ncube was appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council in 2019. He was the Vice Chairperson. In March 2022, Ncube said at a conference in South Africa that he had quit his role as an advisor because he had concluded that "the people that launched the coup in Zimbabwe were interested in protecting their small personal interests, ethnic interests, business interests and economic interests."[2]

Background

Ncube was born in Bulawayo in 1962 and is married to Nyaradzo with whom they have two children namely Keith and Maya.[1] Ncube is a former teacher and he taught at Pumula High School.[3]

Academic Qualification

Previously Held Positions

  • President of Print Media South Africa and Chair of the Newspaper Association of South Africa from 2004–2008.
  • Group Director Editorial, Zimbabwe Independent (1996–2000)
  • Editor-in-Chief, Zimbabwe Independent (1996–2000)
  • Executive Editor, The Financial Gazette (1991–1996)
  • Assistant Editor, The Financial Gazette (1989–1991)

Awards

  • Zimbabwe Editor of the Year | 1994
  • Council for Development of Economic Research in Africa (CODERSA)
  • University Zimbabwe Post Graduate Scholarship
  • International Publishers Association Freedom Prize Award 2007
  • German Africa Award 2008
  • Ncube was bestowed the Nation Media Group Life Achievement Award 2010

In recognition of what Ncube has achieved over the years, he was named in top 100 of the most influential persons in Africa.[4]

Journalism career

Trevor is not a journalist by training, instead, he was invited to join the Financial Gazette by Elias Rusike in 1989 despite not being in possession of any training in the field. He worked for the paper for seven years after which he was fired for allegedly maintaining a critical stance on the government.[5]


Founding AMH

It was reported that Trevor struggled to look for employment after being dismissed from The Gazette in 1996 and this set him on a path to become one of the business persons out of Zimbabwe. In conjunction with Sarah Clive and Thompson Clive The initial print run of 10 000 copies is said to have been sold out before midday on Friday, May 10, 1996.[5] To date, Trevor Ncube has interests in Munn Marketing, StrandMultiprint.

Business Problems

Ncube made the headlines in South Africa when it was claimed by the Star that his employees had gone for months without pay, suppliers and other contributors had also gone for some months without receiving their dues. The report also claimed that Trevor's company faced a possible strike over bonuses and incentives. The alleged rough patch that Trevor's company was facing was attributed to his "loss-making" operations in Zimbabwe.[6] The allegations made on Trevor and his operations were however shot down by Trevor himself and Mail & Guardian chief executive Hoosain Karjieker both insisted that claims that there were facing a cash crunch were unfounded and not factual.[6]


Loss of Guardian and Mail Shares(South Africa)

In December 2017 it was reported that Ncube did not have shares in the Guardian and Mail South Africa. This was reported to be as a result of a loss while trying to shift from print to digitalization.[7] Ncube was reported to have said he wanted to focus more on the Zimbabwe-based business ( Alpha Media Holdings)

Controversy

Trevor Ncube was also said to have been detained for close to an hour at OR Tambo airport after the authorities at the airport had claimed that there was something wrong with the photograph on Trevor's passport. Ncube was said to have been furious over the incident arguing that authorities should not assume that every black person is a criminal.[8]Ncube was also involved in a war with Iqbal Survé after the latter had refused to sell to its chairperson, Trevor Ncube, and his funders, three flagship titles in the group. In rejection of Ncube's offer, the organization made claims that Mail and Guardian was being funded by the US intelligence.[9]

Personal Life

Domestic Violence & Tribalism

In 1994, Ncube's wife,Eva Muzuva, sought a court peace order to prevent Ncube from assaulting her. Nzube admitted he had assaulted her "about 6 times". The order was granted by the courts. In her founding affidavit, Muzuva said Ncube had "called me a 'stupid Zezuru' and wished he had married from his own tribe"[10] Trevor Ncube Domestic Violence Chronicle 9 Feb 1994

Controversy

In May 2016 Ncube was involved in a twitter war of words with Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Jonathan Moyo. Moyo accused him of burning people alive to which Ncube failed to answer but asked Moyo if he defrauded the Ford Foundation. twitter snippet

Gallery

Videos

Trevor Ncube speaks about quitting advisory role to Zimbabwe president, Emmerson Mnangagwa
Trevor Ncube speaks on "Embracing life's challenges" at TEDxEuston
Trevor Ncube, CEO of M&G in South Africa, on the importance of financial independence
Trevor Ncube, telling the story of how he struggled with dyslexia
Trevor Ncube: Leaders who cling to power weaken government institutions

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Trevor Ncube Zimbabwe Media Mogul, Who is who Zimbabwe, Retrieved: December 26, 2014,
  2. Neighbourly advice on SA from Zimbabwe’s Trevor Ncube, BizNews - YouTube, Published: 16 Mar 2022, Accessed: 16 Mar 2022
  3. TREVOR NCUBE, whoswho South Africa Retrieved: December 26, 2014,
  4. Trevor Ncube among most influential persons in Africa, NewsDay, Published: December 5, 2014, Retrieved: December 26, 2014
  5. 5.0 5.1 Trevor Ncube Thanks I was fired, The Independent, Published: November 28, 2003, Retrieved: January 2, 2014
  6. 6.0 6.1 SA rivals hit back at Trevor Ncube, NewsdzeZimbabwe, Published: July 23, 2014, Retrieved: December 26, 2014,
  7. / Op-Ed: Changing of the guard under way at Mail & Guardian ,, Published: 27 November 2017, Retrieved: 19 December 2017
  8. Trevor Ncube detained in South Africa, Harare24News, Published: 03 April 2012, Retrieved: December 26, 2014,
  9. Trevor Ncube in media war, Daily News, Published: August 27, 2013, Retrieved: December 26, 2014
  10. Editor Barred From ill-treating Wife, Published: 9 Feb 1994, Retrieved:20 May 2016

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