Ferial Haffajee

Ferial Haffajee. Photo courtesy www.africansuccess.org

Ferial Haffajee is the editor-in-chief of City Press newspaper in Johannesburg.

She grew up in Bosmont, Johannesburg, where her parents were factory workers employed in the manufacturing industry. 

Before joining City Press she was editor of the country’s leading investigative newspaper, the Mail & Guardian. Under the leadership of Haffajee, the readership of the M&G soared and the paper recorded its highest circulation figures of 58 258. 

Her journalism career started at the former Weekly Mail, which she joined as an intern after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Witwatersrand.

As a radio journalist with the public broadcaster, SABC, Haffajee was selected to a panel of journalists who would interview former president Nelson Mandela after he was released from jail in 1990.  After her stint with the SABC, Haffajee joined the Financial Mail as a senior editor. She ended up being managing editor of the publication before returning to the M&G as an associate editor.

She has been awarded with the Media magazine Women in the Media award for her excellent work as an editor, and for striving to highlight issues affecting women.

She has also received a Shoprite Checkers/SABC2 Women of the Year award, in the media and communications category.