Zapiro

Jonathan Shapiro, known globally as Zapiro, is South Africa’s most acclaimed political cartoonist. A trained architect with degrees and honorary doctorates from UCT, Walter Sisulu University and Rhodes University, he has spent more than three decades chronicling and critiquing political and social landscapes through visual satire.

Jonathan speaks on an expansive range of issues, including:

• Political satire and global affairs
• Freedom of expression and media ethics
• Social justice and inequality
• Environmental and economic critique
• The psychology of humour and outrage
• Misinformation, censorship and the power of the image

He often tailors his presentations to suit specific regional or institutional concerns, bringing a deeply informed and visually rich perspective to any topic.

Zapiro's body of work has been instrumental in shaping public discourse in South Africa and abroad. His cartoons don’t just entertain; they provoke thought, challenge authority and hold power to account. He is widely credited with redefining the role of political cartooning in post-apartheid South Africa. Zapiro has received numerous international accolades, including:

• CNN African Journalist of the Year Award (2001) — the first cartoonist to win a category prize
• The Principal Prince Claus Award from the Netherlands (2005)
• Appointment as Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Republic (2019)

His work has appeared in almost every major South African newspaper and has been studied and exhibited worldwide as a form of incisive, fearless journalism.

Using his cartoons as visual anchors in dynamic PowerPoint presentations, Zapiro delivers talks that are engaging, disarming and richly insightful. His conversational tone pairs with his sharp intellect and subversive humour to simplify complex issues, provoke dialogue and spark laughter — even when dealing with uncomfortable truths. He doesn’t just speak about power; he pokes it in the ribs.