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.

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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.

1. 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.
   
2. 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).
   
3. 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)
   
4. Name: Redi Tlhabi
   Platform: Talk Radio 702, 567 Cape Talk and a TV show
   Factoid: Probably the most influential radio journalist around today.
   
5. 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.
   
6. 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

7. 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

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

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

11. Name: Branko Brkic
    Platform: Daily Maverick and iMaverick
    Factoid:Serbian-South African
12. Name: Aki Anastasiou
    Platform: Talk Radio 702
    Factoid: Was the first to bring “Pigspotter” into South African and global prominence after writing about him
13. 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
14. Name: Sam Mkokeli
    Platform: Business Day
    Factoid: Only opened his account in January, a (fast learning) “Twitter chick”
15. Name: Brendan Boyle
    Platform: Daily Dispatch
    Factoid:Previously the Parliamentary Bureau Chief of Avusa Media
16. Name: Carien Du Plessis
    Platform: iMaverick and Daily Maverick
    Factoid: Has been rumoured to go to press briefings just for the snacks
17. Name: Charl Blignaut
    Platform: Freelance
    Factoid: Pop culture for this pop culture critic is a lot more than Britney Spears
18. Name: “Dorothy Black”
    Platform: Women24
    Factoid: Her real name is a closely guarded secret, known only to a select few
19. Name: Gill Moodie
    Platform: Freelance
    Factoid: Recently moved to Cape Town and quit smoking
20. Name: Gabi Ndebele
    Platform: City Press
    Factoid: Her many well thought-out opinions extend beyond her beat
21. Name: Gus Silber
    Platform: Freelance
    Factoid: Creator of the very popular South African version of the “Hitler meme”
22. 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
23. Name: Ivo Vegter
    Name: Ivo Vegter
    Platform: Freelance
    Factoid: Big, really big, believer in free market economics
24. Name: Jason Von Berg
    Platform: dstv.com
    Factoid: One of the first multimedia journalists in SA
25. Name: Karyn Maughan
    Name: Karyn Maughan
    Platform: eTV
    Factoid: Reliably live-tweets from press-conferences and court cases
26. Name: Kevin McCallum
    Platform: The Star
    Factoid: SA’s (unofficial) Chief Sports Livetweeter
27. Name: Kgomosto Matsunyane
    Platform: Multimedia
    Factoid: Studied politics in the US
28. Name: Khadija Patel
    Platform: iMaverick and Daily Maverick
    Factoid: An excellent Twitter-curator, separating truth from rumour, on breaking news from the Middle East
29. 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
30. 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
31. 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
32. 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
33. Name: Simon Dingle
    Platform: Finweek Magazine and Brainstorm
    Factoid: Initially started out in the broadcasting industry
34. 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
35. Name: Matthew Du Plessis
    Platform: Mail & Guardian and a column for Cosmoplitan SA
    Factoid: Writes some of the strangest most original columns
36. Name: Michelle Solomon
    Platform: Freelance
    Factoid: A name to remember, as Business Day editor Peter Bruce wrote
37. 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
38. Name: Nickolaus Bauer
    Platform: Mail & Guardian and SAfm
    Factoid: Also moonlights reporting on the goings on in SA Twitter for the Mail & Guardian
39. Name: Osiame Molefe
    Platform: Daily Maverick and iMaverick
    Factoid: A qualified chartered accountant
40. Name: Samantha Perry
    Platform: ITWeb and Brainstorm Magazine
    Factoid: Shares a wide range of content from across the web
41. 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
42. 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
43. 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
44. Name: Tecla Ciofli
    Platform: YourLMG Magazine
    Factoid: Her blog was a finalist in the best music blog category in the 2010 SA Blog Awards
45. Name: Verashni Pillay
    Platform: Mail & Guardian Online
    Factoid: Been known to stir the right kind of controversy
46. 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
47. Name: Phillip de Wet
    Platform: iMaverick and Daily Maverick
    Factoid: The Daily Maverick’s “live-tweeting specialist” according to his profile on BizCommunity
48. Name: Siki Mgabadeli
    Platform: SAFM
    Factoid: Primarily a financial journalist was a senior business news anchor at CNBC Africa
49. Name: Toby Shapshak
    Platform: Stuff Magazine
    Factoid: Has covered politics, sport and technology, run online papers and edited a men’s mag
50. 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”
51. Name: Duncan McLeod
    Platform: TechCentral
    Factoid: Was associate editor at the Financial Mail before founding TechCentral in 2009
52. Name: Roger Hislop
    Platform: Gearburn and freelance
    Factoid: Contributing editor for Memeburn’s gadget sister site
53. Name: Mandy de Waal
    Platform: iMaverick and Daily Maverick
    Factoid: Also edits a “bitchin” online business magazine
54. Name: Nechama Brodie
    Platform: Freelance
    Factoid: Not only does she write, she sings and plays guitar, and is a boxer