Business Report: About Us

Viasen Soobramoney

Role: Head of Digital Content for IMS Business

Viasen has been a journalist for 12 years and has worked in the areas of digital convergance and multimedia strategy. He has reported for Independent Media and The Guardian in the UK, working on the foreign news desk. He is also the founder of Africa's first Mobile Journalism newsroom.

Tel: 021 488 4187
Cellphone: 074 424 6553
Email: [email protected]

Vernon Pillay

Role: Content Producer

Education: Bachelor Degree in Political Science, Honours in Political science

Vernon has been working in the news landscape for 6 years as a world and Africa editor. He joined Business Report this year as a content producer for the online portal. He has a history in international political economy and international politics.

Tel: 021 488 4579
Cellphone: 072 697 5886
Email: [email protected]

Ashley Lechman

Role: Content Producer / Social Media officer

Education: National Diploma in Journalism, Caxton Cadetship programme

Ashley has been working in the media industry since 2009. He started of as a journalist and moved towards becoming an online editor managing community newspaper websites in Durban and Johannesburg. He joined Business Report this year.

Tel: 011 633 2186
Cellphone: 084 318 6163
Email: [email protected]

Gabriella Steyn

Role: Content Producer Trainee

Education: Third-Year Journalism student at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Gabriella is fresh out of University (CPUT), joined Business Report this year as a starting point in her Journalism career.

Gabriella enjoys keeping up-to-date with the latest Technology and reports mostly on all things Tech.

Tel: 021 488 4575
Cellphone: 062 212 8078
Email: [email protected]

Nkosemntu Stuurman

Role: Content Producer Trainee

Education: Bachelor Degree in Applied Communication Management from the University of Fort Hare

Nkosemntu tapped into the media space in 2014, serving as a News Reader at Khanya Community radio and freelancing for several vernacular community newspapers in the Eastern Cape. In July 2017, he joined Independent Media to serve in Business Report Online.

Tel: 021 488 4523
Cellphone: 078 130 8440
Email: [email protected]

Thembelihle Mkhonza

Role: Content Producer Trainee

Education: Thembelihle has a Diploma in Journalism obtained at Rosebank College.

She has worked at Newcastle Community Radio as a Zulu news reader in 2015. Thembelihle joined Independent media in 2016 March as an intern for an award winning campaign called Racism Stops with Me. She is currently a content producer trainee at Business Reporter and is passionate about financial crime.

Cellphone: 083 989 1198
Email: [email protected]

Ziyanda Mbolekwa

Role: Multimedia Journalist Trainee

Education: Diploma in Public Relations at Boston Media House.

Ziyanda joined Independent Media in 2016 as part of the award winning campaign ‘Racism Stops with me’. She worked as a multimedia journalist at African News Agency. She recently joined Business Report online as a content producer trainee, with an interest in SME's and SOE's.

Tamaryn Africa

Role: Content Producer Trainee

Education: Diploma in Journalism and Media studies at Damelin

Tamaryn has worked with the Young Independents, MOJO and thereafter the African News Agency, initially part of the ‘Racism Stops with Me Campaign’. She joined Business Report Online team this year as a content producer trainee. She is passionate about telling people's stories and having them be the ones to tell it. She aspires to be a business writer She is passionate about writing and open to new things in the world of journalism.

Songezo Ndlendle

Role: Content Producer Trainee

Education: National Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies from Damelin.

Songezo joined Independent Media as an Intern in 2016, to take part in the'Racism Stops with Me Campaign'. He has worked in different business units within the company, including The Cape Argus, The Young Independents and African News Agency. He joined Business Report early 2017.

Zeenat Vallie

Education: Bachelor of Social Science Degree at UCT

Zeenat has been working in the Media and Communications industry for the past year. In 2016 she joined the City of Cape Town as a Communications Assistant in the Enterprise Development Branch, Enterprise and Investment Department, Directorate of the Mayor where she has been practicing for 6 months. Subsequently, she joined Business Report in August 2017 as a Content Producer Trainee. Her vertical is Entrepreneurs and Careers which she is remarkably passionate about.

Tel: 021 488 4523
Cellphone: 079 135 3805
Email: [email protected]

Dhivana Rajgopaul

Role: Content Producer Trainee

Education: National Diploma in Journalism and Bachelor of Technology Degree in Journalism.

Dhivana has recently started her career in the field of journalism and joined The Business Report as an intern this year.

Tel: 074 815 4079
Email: [email protected]

Mashudu Malema

Role: Live Editor: Business Report and Personal Finance

Mashudu has a background in both corporate and mainstream editorial journalism. She co-founded student publication, Campus Beats, whilst pursuing her Journalism diploma at Boston City Campus. Currently completing her Bachelors in Communication Science at the University of South Africa, she is responsible for generating multi media content across all verticals within the business unit.

Philippa Larkin

Role: Business Content Editor

Education: Bachelor of Arts Degree

Philippa has been in media for nearly two decades and been working in the business and finance reporting environment. She co-ordinates the news diary and opinion page and overseas business content for Independent.

Tel: 011 633 2187
Cellphone: 084 512 1173
Email: [email protected]

Kabelo Khumalo

Role: Multimedia Journalist

Education: Diploma in Media Studies (Journalism) currently enrolled for a Bachelor degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.

Kabelo has been working in the news landscape for 2 years, first as an Intern and Saturday Star and later interning at Business Report. He previously worked 4 years at African Warriors Football Club as a Marketing and Communications Officer.

Cellphone: 072 488 6754
Email: [email protected]

Luyolo Mkentane

Role: Journalist

Education: National Diploma in Journalism; Certificate in writing opinion and analysis

Luyolo is a dedicated journalist who's covered serious beats including agriculture, labour and politics and everything in between, for many of the country's newsrooms, in a career spanning a decade. He joined Business Report in September 2017 from The Star newspaper where he was part of the A-team covering politics. A 2017 fellow of the International Journalists' Programmes, Luyolo has travelled extensively across the country in pursuit of stories that make South Africa tick.

Tel: 011 633 2263
Cellphone: 073 628 8148
Email: [email protected]

Sandile Mchunu

Role: Multimedia Journalist

Education: National Diploma: Human Resources Management, Bachelor Degree in Political Science, Honours in Journalism.

Sandile joined the Business Report team in February 2016. He started his career as football journalist in 2002 at Kick Off magazine, in a career that has lasted for more than 10 years. In 2003 he became the Deputy Editor of Kick Off and by 2004 he appointed as the Founding Editor of SoccerLife magazine. Sandile has had stints with Fin24 in 2007 and The New Age in 2010 as a KZN Correspondent. He left the media business in 2011 to pursue farming before coming back in 2016 by joining BR.

Tel: 031 308 2172
Cellphone: 076 041 7092
Email: [email protected]

Roy Cokayne

Role: Senior Financial Reporter/Live Editor

Education: Bachelor Degree in Journalism, Honours degree in Journalism.

Roy has been reporting for almost 40 years and has been working in the business and finance reporting environment since 1985. He joined Business Report when it was established. He is a specialist reporter on the motor industry and property and construction.

Tel: 031 300 2139
Cellphone: 083 741 1014
Email: [email protected]

Sizwe Dlamini

Role: Multimedia Reporter

Education: Microsoft Certified PC Engineer and also a Microsoft Certified Software Engineer

Sizwe has been working in the media industry for more than 15 years playing various roles which include reporting, proof reading, sub-editing and news production. He joined Business Report in 2017 as a multimedia journalist after working as a sub-editor for Independent Media's production unit from April 2016.

Tel: 021 488 4574
Cellphone: 060 444 1749
Email: [email protected]

Dineo Faku

Education: Masters in Media and Applied Studies, National Diploma Journalism

Dineo joined Business Report as a senior reporter in October 2010. She has previously worked at The Herald newspaper in Port Elizabeth in various roles.

Tel: 011 633 2671
Cellphone: 072 698 2213
Email: [email protected]

Sechaba Nkosi

Role: Deputy Editor

Education: Post-grad diploma in Journalism

Sechaba has been a journalist for nearly 20 years. He studied in Zimbabwe, Canada and South Africa. He is a founding member of the Sunday World newspaper. Sechaba has worked in both print and electronic media. Among the leading newspapers that Sechaba has worked for are the Mail & Guardian and the Sunday Times.

Tel: 011 633 2288
Cellphone: 072 918 6698
Email: [email protected]

Joseph Booysen

Role: Multi-media journalist - Business Report

Education: Diploma in Journalism from CPUT in 2004

Joseph freelanced at Cape Community Newspapers while employed at Independent and was appointed as a consumer journalist for the Cape Argus in 2007 and subsequently as a business journalist in 2011. He has been working for Independent media since 1984 in different departments including Transport.

Tel: 021 488 4791
Cellphone: 082 483 2584
Email: joseph [email protected]

Wesley Diphoko

Role: Founder of the Infonomist

Education: Bcom in Information systems at University of the Western Cape

Wesley believes in the value of enabling people to access information. He spends most of his time at the Independent Media Lab nurturing future technology leaders by developing and managing information products (web platforms and apps) for Independent Media. He is the founder of the Infonomist – a data journalism and technology platform that turns data into valuable information for society.

Tel: 021 488 4128
Cellphone: 076 701 1168
Email: [email protected]

Martin Hesse

Role: Content Editor: Personal Finance

Education: Bachelor of Arts (Communications, Psychology)

Martin has been a writer and sub-editor at Independent Media for 19 years, having gained experience in commercial features, community newspapers, daily newspapers (The Argus) and, for the last nine years, Personal Finance. In July this year he was appointed content editor of Personal Finance.

Tel: 021 488 4753
Cellphone: 076 033 6520
Email: [email protected]

Arnie Hicks

Role: Head of Commercial – Business Unit

Arnie has a career in Media, which started in 1989, and has spanned 28 years within the industry. He is experienced in the following disciplines: Marketing, Sales, Business Administration. He is key in stakeholder engagement and new business development.

Tel: 011 639 7133
Cellphone: 071 362 4645
Email: [email protected]

Tracia Deyce

Role: Business Editorial Assistant

Tracia has more than 20 years experience in office administration as Executive Assistant, Project Administrator, Travel and Events Co-ordinator. She recently joined the Business Unit, assisting the Executive Editor as well as the BR and PF teams.

Tel: 021 488 4209
Cellphone: 072 965 8567
Email: email: [email protected]