Charlene Smith is a highly respected media consultant who consults to the private and public sectors. Her background is as a multi-award winning journalist in print, television and radio. She has authored a dozen books, one of which was short-listed for an Alan Paton Award.

As a journalist, Smith focussed on politics and economics with singular expertise in issues around health and violence. She was an assistant editor at Financial Mail, Finance Week and Leadership, analysis writer for the Los Angeles Times, station manager of SAfm and a specialist broadcaster for Radio 702, CBS radio and others. She worked on award winning television documentaries for Canadian Broadcasting, CBS 60 Minutes, ABC Nightline, NHK and others.

Listed in South Africa’s Who’s Who, Smith is the recipient of many awards for journalism and community services, Smith has been honoured by CNN (Features writing award); Courageous Journalism Award (Rhodes University); Woman of the Year: Media (SABC/Shoprite Checkers); Person the Year (Mail & Guardian); Communicator of the Year (Pretoria Technikon); Woman of the Year (Jong Dames Dinamiek) and others. She is a highly regarded public speaker and has been invited by governments and institutions around the world to speak on issues ranging from the media to human rights, HIV and AIDS, violence and women’s issues.  For many years Smith has worked extensively on a voluntary basis on issues around women and children’s rights, HIV and AIDS and the environment.

"Proud of Me: Speaking out against Sexual Violence and HIV" is probably
Charlene Smith's most important book, it was sold globally and translated
into Swedish (Utan Skuld published by Leopard Forlag). It was a runner up
for the Alan Paton award in South Africa. It tells not only of Charlene's
rape and succesful global efforts to improve treatment and care of rape
survivors, including post exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV. It also
depicts the difficulties she experienced, in particular intense
victimisation from former President Thabo Mbeki for her outspoken positions
seeking better care for rape survivors and those living with HIV.