Having been born and raised in an impoverished and crime-ridden group definitely didn’t deter The South African’s Nokwanda Ncwane from realising her dream of changing into a author and journalist. Instead, rising up in Umlazi, south of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, motivated her to work even tougher to rise above her circumstances.
SEVEN THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT NOKWANDA NCWANE
- Nokwanda Ncwane was born on 12 April 1997 and was raised by a single mom with her three siblings in Umlazi. She relocated to Tshwane in 2021.
- The 25-year-old is the primary in her household to graduate from college having accomplished her diploma in media research on the Durban University of Technology (DUT).
- Her first article was printed within the now-defunct Ayama Magazine throughout her hole 12 months in 2015.
- Her byline has appeared within the Sunday Independent, The Star and Pretoria News.
- She had a stint on the Durban newsroom of the SABC when she was in her first 12 months at DUT and labored alongside the late veteran information reader Scelo Mbokazi.
- She volunteered at Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refineries (Sapref), writing newsboard articles as a trainee within the refinery’s manufacturing division.
- In 2020, she was inspired by her DUT lecturer to hitch The South African’s #gig4students programme to hone her writing abilities and construct her portfolio.
ON WORKING AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN
Nokwanda has embraced the “virtual office” created by The South African’s distant working setting.
“The people are kind and are always available to help with anything should one need assistance. The bonus is that working hours are flexible.”
ENTERING THE MEDIA SPACE…
For so long as she will be able to bear in mind, Nokwanda wished to be a journalist and credit her news-loving mom for igniting and nurturing the hearth inside her.
“Growing up, my mom would come home from work with newspapers and every day we would watch the news on at least three TV channels. She would say one should not go to sleep without knowing what is going on in the world and that news channels report the same events in different ways. That is how I got to know about angles.
“So, from as young as 10, I was already cutting out articles and would always try to translate and study them.”
No surprise then that her eager data of present affairs and historical past have at all times set her other than her friends — even when she enrolled for her National Diploma in Journalism on the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in 2019.
Calling all younger ladies writers! Click right here to search out out about The South African’s Women in Journalism programme
“My teachers always said something sets me apart and when I got to university, my lecturers shared the same sentiment and would say my work is exemplary.”
#GIG4STUDENTS TO NEWSHOUND: LESSONS NOKWANDA HAS LEARNT SO FAR…
“I’ve learnt that hard work pays off. I’m still in awe of the fact that out of the huge amount of students who joined the #gig4students programme, I’m the only one who has been given the opportunity to join the news team in the end… all thanks to Cornelia le Roux [the lifestyle editor who championed the mentoring programme],” Nokwanda enthuses.
She says working at The South African has additionally taught her the significance of proudly owning as much as one’s errors.
“You won’t get it right all the time, so if you publish an article with mistakes or incorrect info, it’s important to take responsibility and do better next time.”
Looking again on the time earlier than becoming a member of The South African, Nokwanda cherishes the chance to grasp her dream of working for a newspaper whereas print publications had been nonetheless thriving.
“My byline appeared in a couple of newspapers when I was still a student and I did my internship at Pretoria News, which is owned Independent Media. Working for The South African has enabled me to keep up with the shift to digital media and the demands of the modern news consumer.”
Nokwanda says she is pushed by the necessity to preserve the general public knowledgeable. One day, she needs to change into an investigative journalist, regardless of the risks related with it in South Africa. She additionally aspires to change into an instructional sooner or later.
“I want to become an academic as there aren’t many black scholars. It bothers me that I seldom see surnames I can relate to when doing referencing. Apart from that, I love academic writing and seeing my name on scholarly work would be a dream come true. My DUT lecturers — Tony Manyangadze and Sphelele Ngubane — has been a true inspiration in this aspect of my future aspirations” .
ADVICE TO ASPIRING WOMEN JOURNALISTS
“Choose journalism because it’s something you’re passionate about. Passion sets you apart from the rest and even if you’ve had bad days or things aren’t as rosy, passion is what fuels you to get up the next day,” Nokwanda advises.
She additionally encourages college students to be resourceful and reap the advantages of volunteering.
“It’s important to gain as much experience as you can so that you can add to your portfolio of work. Don’t wait for your final year!”
IF SHE WASN’T A JOURNO, SHE’D BE A…
Nokwanda says if she didn’t pursue a profession in journalism, she could be a chef because the kitchen is her “happy place” — whether or not she’s cleansing, baking or cooking up a storm.
“During my first year of studies, I lived at a student residence and other students assumed I was pursuing a qualification in hospitality because of my cooking ventures. We had a common kitchen, so whenever I was cooking, especially on Sundays, everyone would call me ‘chef’ and gather to watch whileI prepared my ‘seven colours‘.”
Click right here to learn Nokwanda’s articles.