Zeinab Badawi Speaking Fee: $30,000 to $50,000

Zeinab Badawi is a distinguished Sudanese-British broadcaster, journalist, and writer with a career spanning over four decades. Born in Khartoum in 1959, she moved to the UK at the age of two. Her great-grandfather, Sheikh Babiker Badri, was a pioneer of women's education in Sudan, and her father, Mohammed-Khair El Badawi, was a prominent newspaper editor and social reformer. These familial influences instilled in her a deep commitment to education and social justice. Educated at Oxford University, where she studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, Badawi later earned a master's degree in Middle East History and Anthropology from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. She began her journalism career in 1982 with Yorkshire Television and later co-presented Channel 4 News from 1989 to 1998. In 1998, she joined the BBC, where she became known for her incisive interviewing style on programs such as HARDtalk and Global Questions. Beyond her broadcasting work, Badawi is an active civic leader. She served as Chair of the Royal African Society from 2014 to 2021 and is the founder of the Africa Medical Partnership Fund (AfriMed), a charity supporting local medical professionals in Africa. In 2021, she was appointed President of SOAS University of London, an institution where she had previously studied. Her leadership extends to various boards, including the National Portrait Gallery, the British Council, and the Overseas Development Institute. In 2024, Badawi published her first book, An African History of Africa, which offers a comprehensive and nuanced perspective on the continent's history. The book has been well received for its depth and insight, contributing to ongoing discussions about African narratives in global contexts.