What do you do?

I am a journalist and content producer who, among other things, helps media companies develop new products to engage or grow their audiences. My latest role does this in the form of a TV show and Podcast content.

No day is like the other when you are a journalist. I might spend Monday writing about the next health crisis, then travelling to different parts of the country to interview people on Tuesday. Earlier in my career the news of the day dictated my schedule but my most recent role, which requires a level of analysis and solutions-journalism, has meant that I work with researchers and activists more than I do with the newsmaker of the day.

I was responsible for producing a monthly TV show for Bhekisisa and its broadcast partner, eNCA. I also uploaded stories to the companies website and I sent that content out to different partner organisations like News24, Daily Maverick, Financial Mail and TimesLive that republished the stories.

Most of my job happens in Google Docs and sheets but Whatsapp and phone calls are also a reporter's best friend.

What’s been a highlight of your career so far?

I have had the pleasure of producing interviews with high-ranking people like Dr Anthony Faucci, Dr John Nkengason and former president Kgalema Motlante. They stand out to me because of the hard work that went into securing their interviews.

The highlight that has stayed with me the most was helping a distressed mother in Cape Town when her husband, the household breadwinner, was shot while taking the kids to school. She couldn’t get access to his life insurance funds to make arrangements for his burial and keep supporting the family because the insurance company had refused.

After we aired her story on the radio and asked the company about the ordeal, they reversed their decision, allowing the family to move through an extremely difficult time in their lives with the financial support they deserved.

That’s what journalism is about for me: telling stories that empower us with information that can change lives or help us live better lives.

Looking back, what advice would you give to current students?

You may be entering a workforce that’s changing as new technology disrupts every industry. It feels overwhelming and daunting to have to figure out how you’re going to make it in a world like this. So here’s what I say: be clear about your values and your goals when it comes to your career.

Those may sound like airy-fairy words but it's only recently in my career that I’ve come to realise how central these are to the choices I’ve made to get to where I am.

This doesn’t mean your values can’t change over time, but it's important to check in with yourself and ask: does this serve the person I want to be? Does this next assignment align with the things I value the most and the goals I have?

I would have saved myself a lot of pain and frustration earlier in my career if I applied this more seriously.

What challenges did you face when transitioning into the working world and how did you overcome them?

I started working as a freelancer while I was completing my final year at UCT. I would take my books with me to Cape Talk’s studio’s and study right after my late night radio show. I mostly slept at 7am when this was my routine and I can’t overstate the value of a healthy routine in surviving this transition.

We don’t always feel like it but having a regular plan for your week that makes sure you get enough exercise, fun time with friends and work will make this transition easier – especially for your mental health. And if you need to sacrifice something important like sleep, make sure you have a limit for how long you’ll sacrifice it. Rest is super important and you can’t be your best self without enough of it.

Do you use AI platforms like ChatGPT in your daily work life? If so, what do you use it for?

I use Google's gemini platform to summarise information in Journal Articles and sometimes to just brainstorm things like headline ideas or a name for a new show.