Biography

Alex Burger is an award-winning screenwriter, playwright and author who spans South Africa, the UK, and the United States. Alex’s television work includes producing and head writing first ever mobile South African drama Die Testament (2019, 2022), head-writing seasons 3 and 4 of South Africa’s most popular and SAFTA award-wining drama Umlilo (2015-2016), and writing on Doubt (2016), 90 Plein Street Season 5 (2016), Hard Copy Season 4 (2016) and Isithembiso (2016-2017). Now in Los Angeles, he is currently co-writing a revolutionary feminist drama Here She Comes (Eyes Infinite Films), a satirical African-American dramedy The Campaign (Mundo Loco films) and developing and co-writing Fire City, a multi-season fantastical survival show with acclaimed author Carolyn Cooke, based on 80,000 people trapped at a festival in the desert.

His theatre work includes an adaptation of Njabulo Ndebele’s beloved novel The Cry of Winnie Mandela, Fees Must Fall (Wits University, 2016), The Inkanyamba (The Market Theatre Laboratory, 2015) and Whose Blood (London’s Old Operating Theatre, 2011) which ran for a completely sold-out run. He has taught at CISS (2017 – present) Wits University (2015-2016) and the Market Theatre Laboratory (2014-2016) and given lectures at Dartmouth, Alabama State University, Greenwich University and others.

Alex hails from Massachusetts, grew up performing in 1,200 performances of a resident magic troupe, volunteered with Mother Teresa in Calcutta India, and spent seven years fighting for racial justice in Alabama where he won the Spirit of Dr. King award (2002). Alex holds an MBA from INSEAD and a BA in the Comparative Study of Religion from Harvard University. In his other life, Alex is an International Development Specialist having consulted to the World Bank since 2005, advised numerous private companies, and having served as a Vice President at AngloGold Ashanti, Africa’s largest mining company (2011-2013). He has lived and worked in over 34 countries.

Education

MBA