Anver Versi was born in Kenya; he worked for the Nation Group and was a stringer for Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal before moving to the UK.

He wrote for The Times, The Financial Times, The Guardian and the International Herald Tribune and edited the London Arts Council's Artrage and the WHO's Entre Nous periodicals. He was also editor of Drum West Africa, the production-editor of Africa Journal and is the author of the best-selling African Soccer.

Versi was deputy-editor of New African before being appointed editor of African Business in 1996. Versi has won several awards for his work, including the "2005 Diageo prize" for best journalist in Africa.