Sibongiseni is the newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer of The South African State Theatre. He was, until recently, the CEO of the Robben Island Museum World Heritage Site, a position he occupied from 1 November 2010 – 31 October 2015. He is the former CEO of the Market Theatre Foundation in Johannesburg and Chief Director: Cultural Affairs at the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation.

Sibongiseni was born in 1971 in Impendle, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, where he attended primary school. He did his secondary and tertiary education in Pietermaritzburg. He obtained his Master of Arts degree in History from the University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu-Natal) and his dissertation was on Mass Mobilisation and Resistance in Pietermaritzburg, with particular focus to the 1950s and 1980s. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, which he obtained in 2015. The topic of his doctoral thesis is a political biography of Henry Selby Msimang, 1886 to 1982. 

His first job was in the heritage sector. He worked as a researcher at the Natal Museum from 1997-1999. He moved on to work as a researcher (and later Acting Director) at the Local History Museums (Durban) from 1999 to 2002. He was appointed Director of the Voortrekker and Ncome Museums in July 2002 with the responsibility of turning them around and transforming them so as to enable them to meet the challenges of the 21st century. In August 2004 he was appointed CEO of the Market Theatre Foundation. 

Sibongiseni has been a member of various arts, culture, heritage and history associations such as the South African Historical Society (SAHS); the South African Museums Association (SAMA); the KwaZulu-Natal Oral History Association (KZNOHA) as well as the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA). He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Tatham Art Gallery from 2002 to 2004. He served two terms as a member of the Council of KwaZulu-Natal Museum from 2005 to 2011. In 2007 he was elected to the Executive Committee of the Theatre Managements of South Africa (TMSA) and was elected its chairperson in 2009. In 2012 he was appointed a member of the Board of Cape Town Tourism for a one year term. 

He has published articles in local and international historical and heritage journals, and has also contributed chapters in books. In addition to his passion for the governance of the arts or “the art of governance” as it relates to heritage and performing arts institutions, he is a historian with particular interest in South Africa’s twentieth century socio-economic and political history, oral history, biographical studies, heritage and the transformation of traditional governance structures.

Sibongiseni is the newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer of The South African State Theatre. He was, until recently, the CEO of the Robben Island Museum World Heritage Site, a position he occupied from 1 November 2010 – 31 October 2015. He is the former CEO of the Market Theatre Foundation in Johannesburg and Chief Director: Cultural Affairs at the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. Sibongiseni was born in 1971 in Impendle, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, where he attended primary school. He did his secondary and tertiary education in Pietermaritzburg. He obtained his Master of Arts degree in History from the University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu-Natal) and his dissertation was on Mass Mobilisation and Resistance in Pietermaritzburg, with particular focus to the 1950s and 1980s. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, which he obtained in 2015. The topic of his doctoral thesis is a political biography of Henry Selby Msimang, 1886 to 1982. His first job was in the heritage sector. He worked as a researcher at the Natal Museum from 1997-1999. He moved on to work as a researcher (and later Acting Director) at the Local History Museums (Durban) from 1999 to 2002. He was appointed Director of the Voortrekker and Ncome Museums in July 2002 with the responsibility of turning them around and transforming them so as to enable them to meet the challenges of the 21st century. In August 2004 he was appointed CEO of the Market Theatre Foundation. Sibongiseni has been a member of various arts, culture, heritage and history associations such as the South African Historical Society (SAHS); the South African Museums Association (SAMA); the KwaZulu-Natal Oral History Association (KZNOHA) as well as the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA). He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Tatham Art Gallery from 2002 to 2004. He served two terms as a member of the Council of KwaZulu-Natal Museum from 2005 to 2011. In 2007 he was elected to the Executive Committee of the Theatre Managements of South Africa (TMSA) and was elected its chairperson in 2009. In 2012 he was appointed a member of the Board of Cape Town Tourism for a one year term. He has published articles in local and international historical and heritage journals, and has also contributed chapters in books. In addition to his passion for the governance of the arts or “the art of governance” as it relates to heritage and performing arts institutions, he is a historian with particular interest in South Africa’s twentieth century socio-economic and political history, oral history, biographical studies, heritage and the transformation of traditional governance structures.

Thought provoking talk and debates with the listeners and high profile guests. Presented by Ashraf Garda.

Thought provoking talk and debates with the listeners and high profile guests.