Ferial Haffajee

Editor in Chief of Mail & Guardian

Ferial Haffajee assumed the position of Editor in Chief of Mail & Guardian (M&G) in February 2004. She is the newspaper’s fifth editor — and the first woman in that position.

Previously, she has worked at Financial Mail as Senior Editor responsible for political reporting — and as its Managing Editor.

She has also worked at the South African Broadcasting Corporation as a radio producer and television reporter.

Her part time passions include training young journalists, political risk analysis and training vaious organisations in media skills. When she finds time, she travels and eats with her family and consequently has to go to the gym quite regularly.

She is a board member of M&G Publishing and GendeLinks and is a member of the Africa Leadership Initiative, a project started by Isaac Shongwe of BarlowWorld Logistics and the Aspen Institute.

She is a previous winner of the Sanlam financial journalism awards — and was also named the winner of The Media magazine’s MTN Women in Media award for 2006.

Ferial is also the chairperson of the South African National Editors Forum — and a judge for the annual Inter-Press Service global correspondent competition. She is a regular commentator on radio and television.