I enjoy feeling passionate about my work. It’s a lot easier to communicate authentically that way. Being intensely curious about life helps. I'm fascinated by people, delighted by places and simply greedy when it comes to food and wine.
A common thread of human interest pulls everything together. It’s so much easier to appreciate a great wine when a winemaker share’s its story from vine to bottle and be impressed by a social intervention when an orphan tells you she has hope for the future.
If you are interested in working with me on a project, give me a call or send an email.
Working girl
I have worked internationally as a software developer, systems analyst
and project manager.
More recently I have worked as a freelance journalist and photographer as well as Research and Development manager and later Marketing Coordinator for GOLD Peer Education Agency, an HIV/AIDS prevention organisation.
Writing for magazines
Starting off my writing career as a humour columnist for iafrica.com,
I enjoyed receiving mail from readers who said they’d laughed
till they choked.
I went on to write for Icon Magazine, Men’s Health, Explore SA and Heart and spent a few months co-ordinating all the advertorials for Eat Out Magazine (2006 edition) and writing much of the advertorial copy.
I currently write a regular wineland interest column for Good Taste magazine.
PR
and copywriting
Over the past few years, I’ve written a lot. I’ve scratched
my head over curriculum session plans that communicate complex concepts
about gender and human rights to second language learners and polished
my saleswoman shoes when writing marketing materials convincing funders
to donate generously. I’ve also explored beautiful places and
sipped lots of wine to dream up wineland interest columns.
As the part-time marketing co-ordinator for GOLD Peer Education Agency, a youth HIV/AIDS development organisation, I am involved in co-ordinating all marketing and PR activities, including compiling newsletters and writing press releases.
During my time as Advertorial Co-ordinator at Eat Out Magazine (2006 issue) I wrote most of the advertorial copy.
Study
When I left school I couldn’t decide whether to become a journalist,
architect or doctor, so I enrolled for a BSc degree in Computer Science.
At the time I couldn’t type or turn on a computer. Four years
later I had a BSc Honours degree in Computer Science from the University
of Cape Town (UCT) (first class, 1996) and could type passably well.
University was much more fun the second time round. I went back in 2000 to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in African Studies majoring in Postcolonial African Literature (distinction).
I have also learned many things informally, including how to raise puppies, tile a kitchen, photograph alpacas and calm nervous brides.