Our Team

MiaMalan

Mia Malan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa. She has worked in newsrooms in Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington, DC, winning more than 30 awards for her radio, print and television work. A former Knight International Journalism Fellow and a Reuters Institute Journalism Fellow, Mia speaks internationally about health issues in Africa and media sustainability in the Global South. Mia has published widely in books and academic journals, including the Brown Journal of World Affairs and the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. She was a TEDx speaker on how Covid changed news reporting and regularly moderates panels for high-level events.

Want to know #HowWeWork? This is what Mia Malan does.



Awards

  • 2022 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards: Editorial/Column Journalist of the Year
  • 2021 Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke Institute Bring Her Up Women of Firsts Awards: Excellence in Public Health Award
  • 2020 Vodacom Journalism Awards: Opinion Writer Journalist of the Year (Northern Region)
  • 2019 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards: Features Journalist of the Year
  • 2016 CNN Multichoice African Journalism Awards: Features Journalist of the Year
  • 2016 Vodacom Journalism Awards: Northern Region Features Journalist of the Year
  • 2016 Diageo Responsible Drinking Media Awards: Newspaper Journalist of the Year
  • 2016 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards: Features Journalist of the Year
  • 2015 Discovery Excellence in Health Journalism Awards: Discovery Health Journalist of the Year
  • 2015 Discovery Excellence in Health Journalism Awards: Features Health Journalist of the Year
  • 2015 Discovery Excellence in Health Journalism Awards: Healthy Lifestyle Features Journalist of the Year
  • 2015 Brandhouse Responsible Drinking Media Awards: Journalist of the Year
  • 2015 Brandhouse Responsible Drinking Media Awards: Newspaper Journalist of the Year
  • 2015 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards: Features Journalist of the Year
  • 2015 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards: Newspaper Journalist of the Year
  • 2014 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards: Features Journalist of the Year
  • 2014 National Press Club Journalism Awards: Features Journalist of the Year
  • 2014 Discovery Excellence in Health Journalism Awards: Features Health Journalist of the Year
  • 2013 Brandhouse Responsible Drinking Media Awards: Newspaper Journalist of the Year
  • 2013 National Press Club Journalism Awards: Radio Features Journalist of the Year
  • 2013 National Press Club Journalism Awards: Print Features Journalist of the Year
  • 2013 Discovery Excellence in Health Journalism Awards: Features Health Journalist of the Year
  • 2013 Discovery Excellence in Health Journalism Awards: Discovery Health Journalist of the Year
  • 2012 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards: Comment and Analysis Journalist of the Year
  • 2008 Baltimore Women’s Film Festival: Best Short Film (My Dead Husband’s Land)
  • 2002 US-SA Television Health Journalist of the Year
  • 2001 CNN African Journalist of the Year Awards: Radio Journalist of the Year
  • 2000 African Journalist Foundation Awards: Radio Journalist of the Year Runner-Up
  • 1998 Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Excellence in Health Journalism Awards: Overall Winner

PhathiswaMagopeni

Phathiswa Magopeni is Bhekisisa's chief operations officer. She has 23 years’ experience in the news media sector and has held senior editorial roles such as the editor-in-chief and group executive for SABC News and Current Affairs. Magopeni was also the head of terrestrial news services and business and economics editor at eNCA and etv. She began her career as a lecturer at the University of the Western Cape, and later joined the University of Cape Town’s Southern African languages and literatures department. Magopeni holds bachelor of arts, BA hons and MPhil ed. degrees from the University of the Western Cape. She also has an Integrated Marketing Communications higher diploma from the AAA School of Advertising and an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science at the University of Pretoria. Magopeni is a member of the SABC’s board of directors. She’s a Menell/Duke University Media fellow and Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa Fellow, a member of the World Editors Forum and a council member of the South African National Editors’ Forum.

JessicaPitchford

Jessica Pitchford is Bhekisisa's TV and multimedia editor. She's been a journalist since the early nineties and has reported on some pivotal events in South Africa’s political history, such as the country’s transition to democracy and the work of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission. Jessica brings a wealth of experience to Bhekisisa's TV team, building on years of producing and editing features for investigative platforms like Special Assignment (SABC), Carte Blanche (M-Net) and Checkpoint (eNCA). She was the head researcher for the Netflix series ‘Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star’, and has written five non-fiction books. "No matter the number of years you’ve been at it, producing TV content remains time-consuming and challenging. But it’s also hugely satisfying to make complex health issues rouse understanding and curiosity through a visual medium."

RosalineDaniel

Rosaline Daniel is Bhekisisa's senior programme manager.She holds Master’s degrees from the Universities of Cape Town and Westminster in the United Kingdom in international relations and technical and specialised translation.Daniel monitors the fulfillment of donor requirements, and develops information systems for financial and progress reporting to ensure that Bhekisisa remains compliant. She also manages online advertising and ensures all administrative work is carried out for the assigned programmes in line with procedures.Daniel works with Bhekisisa's programme associate and other team members to organise and conceptualise training, critical thinking forums and webinars.

Want to know #HowWeWork? This is what Rosaline Daniel does:

Linda Pretorius

Linda Pretorius is Bhekisisa's content editor. While studying towards a BSc in human physiology, she fell in love with science; during postgraduate studies she fell in love with writing about science. She ended up graduating with a PhD in biosystems from the University of Pretoria and has been working as a science writer, editor and proofreader in the book industry and for academic journals over the past 15 years. At Bhekisisa she helps authors to shape and develop their stories to pack a punch. “Helping an author create an effective story is like creating a synapse,” she says. “It’s that almost intangible space where information flows seamlessly from the author to the reader, without any meaning getting lost.”

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SipokaziFokazi

Sipokazi Fokazi is Bhekisisa's senior health news reporter. She holds a BTech (cum laude) in journalism from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and has worked mainly as a health writer and also health and wellbeing editor for publications such as the Cape Argus and the Sunday Times for more than 15 years, covering science, social justice and public health topics such as HIV, child health and service delivery issues. Fokazi is also an ex-fellow of the Thomson Foundation’s summer programme, where she worked under some of the best media trainers in the UK. The three-month practical course gave her insight into the daily workings of some of the leading UK media houses, such as the Guardian and the BBC. A travel enthusiast, Fokazi has visited more than 20 countries, mainly to cover health events and international conferences. “What fuels me as a health journalist is that I give a voice to the voiceless. Seeing people's dire situations change or policy being adapted after a story was published, is the most satisfying thing about health reporting.”

Awards

  • 2022 Vodacom Journalism Awards: Features Journalist of the Year (Regional)
  • 2009 Vodacom Journalism Awards: General News Journalist of the Year (Regional)
  • 2007 Vodacom Journalism Awards: Editor's Choice Journalist of the Year (Regional)
  • 2007 Vodacom Journalism Awards: Editor's Choice Journalist of the Year (National)

SoleyCrooks Chissano

Soley Crooks Chissano is Bhekisisa's programme associate. They hold a BA degree in linguistics, Portuguese and psychology (2021) and an honours degree in linguistics (2023) from the University of the Witwatersrand. Crooks Chissano has consulted with philanthropy agencies on climate change and renewable energy, providing support to programme managers on energy transition initiatives through research, information briefs, grantee identification and grant assessments. Soley is passionate about uplifting diverse voices and creating platforms for people to talk in meaningful ways.

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Zano Kunene

Zano Kunene is a health reporter at Bhekisisa. He graduated with an honours degree in journalism from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2021. While writing for his university’s student newspaper, Wits Vuvuzela, Kunene often covered campus life issues, from the progress of renovations on dilapidated residence buildings to topics such as the university’s provision of internet data during COVID lockdowns. “I’m intrigued by stories that provide insight but leave the reader with the desire to engage in active citizenry in providing real-life solutions to everyday problems,” Kunene says.

Want to know #HowWeWork? This is what Zano Kunene does:

NicoleLudolph

Nicole Ludolph obtained her journalism diploma from Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 2020. Before joining the Bhekisisa team as a health reporter, she covered all things farming at the agricultural publication, Food For Mzansi. Ludolph believes that everyone has a story to tell. "Healthcare, like most things in South Africa, is built on an incredibly unequal system”, she says. “This is why telling the health stories of those who are usually not heard from, is important."

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ChristinaPitt

Christina Pitt is a health reporter at Bhekisisa. After completing an LLB degree at Stellenbosch University in 2016 she was awarded a Media24 scholarship to pursue an honours degree in journalism. Pitt then worked as a digital news journalist, lifestyle writer and producer of a gender-based violence documentary series for the DSTV television channel, MNet. “How a country treats its most vulnerable is a useful way to measure the health of a democracy,” she says. “As journalists it is our job to shine a light on inequality in a way that affects positive change.”

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MohaleMoloi

Mohale Moloi is a health reporter and TV producer at Bhekisisa. He graduated with an honours degree in investigative journalism from Wits University in 2020. Before joining Bhekisisa, Moloi worked as a radio producer at Cape Talk at Primedia Broadcasting where he created current affairs content for breakfast and drive time shows. “This has taught me the importance of raising the profile of underrepresented voices in the news media,” he says. “Inequality is reflected in who gets to have their story told and whose reality often goes ignored. Frank conversations with radio listeners have taught me that fixing this representation imbalance should be in the job description of every journalist.” In 2019 Moloi was awarded a journalism fellowship by the Open Society Foundation for South Africa.

Want to know #HowWeWork? This is what Mohale Moloi does:

Yolanda Mdzeke

Yolanda Mdzeke is a multimedia reporter at Bhekisisa. She graduated with an honours degree in journalism, specialising in broadcast journalism and documentary filmmaking, from Rhodes University in 2020. At Rhodes, she was part of a group of young student journalists who reported on the 2016 #RUReferenceList protests about sexual violence on the campus, which led to the documentary DISRUPT. Her final year documentary project, ”I am Thandiwe” the story of a Black adopted child raised in a white family, was screened on DSTV as part of the 2020 National Arts Festival's virtual film festival. Mdzeke abides by one firm philosophy: “I believe in the value of storytelling in order to educate and transform our society, to explore underrepresented narratives and interrogate the status quo”.

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ThategoMashabela

Thatego is Bhekisisa’s multimedia producer. She works closely with the multimedia team to create quality digital content that is edited to perfection. Mashabela holds a sound engineering qualification from Allanby College and has nearly two decades of experience as a videographer and video editor. Before joining Bhekisisa, Mashabela acted as a director, set designer and content creator for a local organisation, RenownTV, did editing for the award-winning investigative journalism programme 3rd Degree (eTV), and worked as a production coordinator for Checkpoint (eNCA). “I love telling authentic stories because they make us realise how human we all are,” she says.