Simon Allison is the Africa editor for the Mail & Guardian in Johannesburg. He is also a research consultant for the Institute for Security Studies, and was previously senior Africa correspondent for the Daily Maverick. He specializes in African news and analysis, and has reported from across the continent. His work has appeared on the Guardian, Foreign Policy, NPR, Courrier International and Internazionale. He holds degrees from Rhodes University in South Africa and the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and has lived and worked across Africa and the Middle East.