In South Africa, we witnessed a remarkable surge in the public prominence of Professor Salim Abdool Karim following his appointment, in mid-Apr 2020, to lead a Ministerial Advisory Committee advising government on combating COVID-19 Tracing Karim's journey towards becoming a trusted public voice of science on COVID-19 reveals meaningful insights into the relationships between scientists, policymakers and the South African public It also illustrates how Karim follows an international cultural trend whereby charismatic scientists approach celebrity status under certain conditions, giving them unique power in shaping public trust in science Here, Joubert explores the characteristics of Karim's engagement with the South African public during the COVID-19 pandemic in the light of two key dimensions of quality in science communication, namely 'visibility' and 'credibility'
From top scientist to science media star during COVID-19 – South Africa's Salim Abdool Karim