Career
I started my journalism career at community newspaper level (the Krugersdorp News) and then became a radio reporter for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in Mahikeng. I went on to become a seasoned reporter at The Citizen newspaper in Johannesburg, after which I joined ITWeb, an IT news outlet, in Johannesburg. I was appointed as a television reporter for the SABC in Bloemfontein, after which I entered the communications space for a while.
I returned to my journalism career path when I was appointed as Digital News Production Editor for the SABC in Johannesburg, where I won my first journalism award, an IAB SA Bookmark Award for online feature writing. I subsequently worked as an Online Duty Editor for eNCA, a Johannesburg-based broadcaster, where I won my second award, a South African National Parks (SANParks) Kudu Award for Environmental Journalism. I entered the freelance space as a newsreader for JacarandaFM News in Midrand, and also served as Digital News Editor for The Citizen in Johannesburg.
I most recently worked as Newscast Editor for Jacaranda FM News, where I was first the news anchor on The Scenic Drive with Rian, and then The Drive with Rob and Roz, where I won the SA Press Club’s Radio News award in 2023.
Making sense of things
In “"Explained Well (with Christelle)” , a daily slot on The Drive with Rob and Roz, I unpacked news and current affairs-related topics in a way that they make sense to listeners. One of the regular topics in this slot, was the Jaca Drive basket where we aimed to make sometimes complex topics, like inflation and repo rates, more relatable.
The personality behind the news…
Providing depth and context
In an era where citizen journalists and social media users often break the news, the role of the traditional journalist has shifted back to being gatekeepers for the truth, especially in light of the proliferation of fake news. The need for journalists to bring context and depth to their reporting has therefore been heightened, and I have been asked on a number of occasions to speak on this and frame the news of the day through the lens of trustworthy reporting. During my tenure at the SABC as Digital News Production Editor, I was seconded to the broadcaster’s head office for a period of three months to write the organisation’s social media policy, which involved extensive stakeholder engagement and research on best practice and global industry norms.