Branko Brkic

Daily Maverick, the online South African daily, was launched by Branko Brkic in 2009 and had a readership of 12 million monthly unique visitors as of 20 March 2023. The #GuptaLeaks, Daily Maverick’s most famous investigation so far (in collaboration with the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism and News24), was described as South Africa’s Watergate moment. It used leaked emails to expose the corrupt influence of the Gupta brothers over former President Jacob Zuma, and helped topple his government. Recognition for #GuptaLeaks included the 2019 Global Shining Light Award.

Brkic also launched and edited Timbila, Brainstorm, Maverick, and Empire magazines, and 168, South Africa’s final weekend newspaper. In June 2018, he won the Nat Nakasa Award for Media Integrity, considered South Africa’s premier journalism award.

He started his book publishing career in 1984, in what was then Yugoslavia. Highlights of his publication list included The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Complete Greek Tragedies, and the Miroslav Gospel, which was included in Unesco’s Memory of the World Register of documentary heritage of global significance upon republication.