Twitter • 26 Oct 2011

Memeburn’s 50+ prominent South African journalists on Twitter

The rapid uptake of Twitter by the general public is often ascribed to celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher, Lady Gaga, and Demi Moore. In South Africa, with the most followed users being mainly celebrities, the situation is similar.

Though this may be true, less recognised, however, is the role the media has played in publicising Twitter. From the New York Times’ Nick Kristof to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, journalists have taken to Twitter with a gusto.

South African journalists have done the same right along with their international counterparts.

Whether it’s been traditional South African media publications looking to Twitter for a gauge of what South Africa’s general sentiment on a given topic is — a questionable practice at best in the South African context — or with national debates being sparked off on Twitter, the social network, as in almost every other nation, has gained an incredible influence in the media.

Equally so, even if they aren’t the most followed users on Twitter, journalists have gained immense influence and prominence on Twitter.

For this reason, we at Memeburn decided to compile what we believe is a list of the 50 most prominent and influential South African journalists on Twitter. Some of them may already have reached the heights of South Africa’s media industry, while others are still climbing that ladder, but all of them are igniting some of the most important conversations shaping South Africa’s future in bursts of 140 characters or less.

The 10 listed first — not necessarily the top 10 — comprises those journalists in print, television, and other forms of media who not only shape the conversation on Twitter, but in the real world through their publishing or managing some of SA’s top media titles, or influence wielded through television and radio.

Name: Ferial Haffajee
Platform: City Press
Factoid: One of South Africa’s leading media practitioners, was previously editor of the Mail & Guardian and a Memeburn contributor in its early days.
Name: Nic Dawes
Platform: Mail & Guardian
Factoid: Before taking over the M&G editorship in 2009, had started out as an investigative and political reporter (read Dawes’ interview with Memeburn here).
Name: Vanessa Raphaely
Platform: Associated Magazines
Factoid: Recently stepped down as editor of Cosmopolitan SA (read Raphaely’s Q&A on blogging, fashion, and 21st century media with Memeburn here)
Name: Redi Tlhabi
Platform: Talk Radio 702, 567 Cape Talk and a TV show
Factoid: Probably the most influential radio journalist around today.
Name: Ray Hartley
Platform: Sunday Times
Factoid: Has tweeted considerably less these days since becoming editor of the Sunday Times, but one of the early, early adopters.
Name: Yusuf Abramjee
Platform: Primedia
Factoid: Immensely influential in South African media through his roles as head of News at Primedia Broadcasting and the chairman of the National Press Club

Name: Phylicia Oppelt
Platform: The Times
Factoid:Won the 1st for Women Insurance Brokers Women in The Media Award for her editorship of The Times

Name: Peter Bruce
Platform: Business Day
Factoid: Is also a ~~prodigious~~ blogger.
Name: Janine Jellars
Platform: Seventeen Magezine
Factoid: Her first issue as the new editor of Seventeen magazine recently hit news stands

Name: James Myburgh
Platform: PolitcsWeb
Factoid: Holds a DPhil in Politics from St Antony’s at Oxford

Name: Branko Brkic
Platform: Daily Maverick and iMaverick
Factoid:Serbian-South African
Name: Aki Anastasiou
Platform: Talk Radio 702
Factoid: Was the first to bring “Pigspotter” into South African and global prominence after writing about him
Name: Jannie Momberg
Platform: News24
Factoid: With News24 always topping the lists of most popular websites in SA, its editor Momberg wields immense power in SA’s online news world
Name: Sam Mkokeli
Platform: Business Day
Factoid: Only opened his account in January, a (fast learning) “Twitter chick”
Name: Brendan Boyle
Platform: Daily Dispatch
Factoid:Previously the Parliamentary Bureau Chief of Avusa Media
Name: Carien Du Plessis
Platform: iMaverick and Daily Maverick
Factoid: Has been rumoured to go to press briefings just for the snacks
Name: Charl Blignaut
Platform: Freelance
Factoid: Pop culture for this pop culture critic is a lot more than Britney Spears
Name: “Dorothy Black”
Platform: Women24
Factoid: Her real name is a closely guarded secret, known only to a select few
Name: Gill Moodie
Platform: Freelance
Factoid: Recently moved to Cape Town and quit smoking
Name: Gabi Ndebele
Platform: City Press
Factoid: Her many well thought-out opinions extend beyond her beat
Name: Gus Silber
Platform: Freelance
Factoid: Creator of the very popular South African version of the “Hitler meme”
Name: Hilton Tarrant
Platform: MoneyWeb
Factoid: Was awarded the 2006 Telkom ICT Journalist of the Year award for the online category and also writes for Memeburn
Name: Ivo Vegter
Name: Ivo Vegter
Platform: Freelance
Factoid: Big, really big, believer in free market economics
Name: Jason Von Berg
Platform: dstv.com
Factoid: One of the first multimedia journalists in SA
Name: Karyn Maughan
Name: Karyn Maughan
Platform: eTV
Factoid: Reliably live-tweets from press-conferences and court cases
Name: Kevin McCallum
Platform: The Star
Factoid: SA’s (unofficial) Chief Sports Livetweeter
Name: Kgomosto Matsunyane
Platform: Multimedia
Factoid: Studied politics in the US
Name: Khadija Patel
Platform: iMaverick and Daily Maverick
Factoid: An excellent Twitter-curator, separating truth from rumour, on breaking news from the Middle East
Name: Lerato Tshabalala
Platform: Sunday Times LifeStyle
Factoid: Celebrated for giving a voice to the young urban black woman in her very entertaining fortnightly column in Sunday Times
Name: Lester Kiewit
Platform: eTV
Factoid: Will often tweet pictures and updates of his reports as he compiles them, giving an early taste of the evening news
Name: Lihle Z Mtshali
Platform: Sunday Times
Factoid: Will drive you mad with jealousy as she regales you with stories of life in the glamourous Big Apple
Name: Lindo Xulu
Platform: Financial Mail
Factoid: Writes and tweets about the news that isn’t on the front page of your newspaper, but should be
Name: Simon Dingle
Platform: Finweek Magazine and Brainstorm
Factoid: Initially started out in the broadcasting industry
Name: Mandy Wiener
Platform: Eyewitness News
Factoid: Tweets from many press conferences, and introduced central character in the Brett Kebble affair, Glen Agliotti, to Twitter
Name: Matthew Du Plessis
Platform: Mail & Guardian and a column for Cosmoplitan SA
Factoid: Writes some of the ~~strangest~~ most original columns
Name: Michelle Solomon
Platform: Freelance
Factoid: A name to remember, as Business Day editor Peter Bruce wrote
Name: Nadia Neophytou
Platform: Freelance
Factoid: Best known for her work as an Entertainment Reporter for Eyewitness News and also contributes to Memeburn from New York
Name: Nickolaus Bauer
Platform: Mail & Guardian and SAfm
Factoid: Also moonlights reporting on the goings on in SA Twitter for the Mail & Guardian
Name: Osiame Molefe
Platform: Daily Maverick and iMaverick
Factoid: A qualified chartered accountant
Name: Samantha Perry
Platform: ITWeb and Brainstorm Magazine
Factoid: Shares a wide range of content from across the web
Name: Simon Williamson
Platform: iMaverick and Daily Maverick
Factoid: South African journo, who was based in Hong Kong, and has recently moved to New York
Name: Sipho Hlongwane
Platform: iMaverick, Daily Maverick, and columns for Cosmpolitan SA, 2oceansvibe and The Big Issue
Factoid: Crossed ~~swords~~ keyboards with the ANC Youth League
Name: Stephen Grootes
Platform: Eyewitness news, Daily Maverick, and iMaverick
Factoid: Often is the one who comes up with the hashtags used by South Africans when tweeting about news
Name: Tecla Ciofli
Platform: YourLMG Magazine
Factoid: Her blog was a finalist in the best music blog category in the 2010 SA Blog Awards
Name: Verashni Pillay
Platform: Mail & Guardian Online
Factoid: Been known to stir the right kind of controversy
Name: John Robbie
Platform: Talk Radio 702
Factoid: Started out life as a professional rugby player, going on to represent the British and Irish Lions
Name: Phillip de Wet
Platform: iMaverick and Daily Maverick
Factoid: The Daily Maverick’s “live-tweeting specialist” according to his profile on BizCommunity
Name: Siki Mgabadeli
Platform: SAFM
Factoid: Primarily a financial journalist was a senior business news anchor at CNBC Africa
Name: Toby Shapshak
Platform: Stuff Magazine
Factoid: Has covered politics, sport and technology, run online papers and edited a men’s mag
Name: Chris Roper
Platform: Mail & Guardian online
Factoid: On top of his duties as the M&G online editor, also has a very entertaining website, with the tagline “stupidity is its own reward”
Name: Duncan McLeod
Platform: TechCentral
Factoid: Was associate editor at the Financial Mail before founding TechCentral in 2009
Name: Roger Hislop
Platform: Gearburn and freelance
Factoid: Contributing editor for Memeburn’s gadget sister site
Name: Mandy de Waal
Platform: iMaverick and Daily Maverick
Factoid: Also edits a “bitchin” online business magazine
Name: Nechama Brodie
Platform: Freelance
Factoid: Not only does she write, she sings and plays guitar, and is a boxer