Jeremy Michaels was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and grew up in Mitchell’s Plain on the Cape Flats. It was here that he cut his teeth in politics in the late 1980s, working in student organisations such as the Mitchell’s Plain Student’s Congress and Western Cape Student’s Congress, both affiliated to the then banned United Democratic Front and African National Congress.

 Jeremy has spent most of his working life in the local and international media/communications sector. He has also served in the South African Government at both national and provincial levels and has been a Director at one of the world’s top communication advisory firms, Brunswick. Michaels is currently Vice President: Communication and Public Affairs for Toronto-listed Ivanhoe Mines.

 In the 20 years since his professional career started in 1994, Michaels made his name as a political correspondent, then as a government spokesman, and more recently as a corporate communications professional. Michaels has a Master’s degree in International Journalism from Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. His achievements have been recognised publicly by, amongst others, late President Nelson Mandela and Madame Graca Machel. He has also served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Press Gallery Association in Cape Town.