Digital Content Creation and Marketing
I have experience in creating and marketing digital content including but not limited to news and articles, blog content, SEO content, professional profiles, social networking, emails, user responses, marketing materials and also website copy from FAQs to meta tags and more.
Over the course of my career I have published thousands of articles, shared to millions of web users, across a variety of topics, including parenting, women’s interest and career advancement.
Here is a selection of my recent articles and blog posts:
If you’ve ever struggled with the question “What are your salary expectations?” here’s a brilliant way to answer it
The salary negotiation aspect of the interview process is often the most stressful part for many women.
Sometimes this is because we’re not comfortable talking about our needs in front of a roomful of strangers, or we’re afraid to give the wrong amount and either lose out on an offer or short-change ourselves, or both.
But companies often need a figure to get the process started, some even include it in their automated application process, and of course what do you say when asked outright in an interview?
A day in the life of a single mom
Parenting alone is hard, and there’s no sugar coating it. These two strong moms shared their experience of raising their kids on their own.
If your travel dreams are limited by your budget, two experts have just the right advice to get you out there this year
If you’re excited by misty mountaintops, open roads and far flung destinations, but your travel dreams are limited by your budget, then we have just the right advice to get you out there this year.
Refilwe and I discussed the current trend towards a vegan lifestyle on Cape Talk radio
Vegan alternatives: The biggest trend hitting your fridge in 2019
A recent article by Forbes suggested that 2019 is set to be the Year of the Vegan, with Unilever’s acquisition of Dutch company The Vegetarian Butcher, the increasing popularity of vegan fast-food company Vivera, and Beyond Meat’s growing international market being cited as proof that the vegan trend is set to explode.
Closer to home, we spoke to several advocates of the vegan lifestyle to gain some insight into what South Africans can expect in the years ahead.
Could you really start a new business in just five days? These women did
In 2011 Vongai Bhelebana had an idea.
She wanted to provide practical entrepreneurial programs in high schools across South Africa, to simulate the experience of the entrepreneurs journey to better equip teens to become successful.
After years of funding requests being rejected, she decided to run the programs herself.
Read her inspiring story, and more, on W24
Are you expecting too much from your mentor? We look at both sides of the coin
What is it really like to have a mentor? We chat to a dynamic duo for their insider tips.
A mentorship is a powerful partnership. The role of the mentor is to share knowledge, advice, and resources, while the role of the mentee is to learn and to use the information gained to excel professionally.
But how does this play out, practically?
Future skills: How to teach kids empathy, kindness and patience
As our children grow into a world filled with technological advancements, where machines are learning to do our jobs, it is ever more important to nurture soft skills like kindness and empathy in our children and to encourage their natural leadership and problem-solving abilities.
In this series Parent24 will interview teachers and experts, and suggest ways in which parents can help their children to prepare for a future in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, starting with:
Empathy, kindness and patience
Six things you should know (like it costs R90 000 a year to raise a child) before you have kids
If you, like millions of other women, are considering having your first child, you’ll know there are many factors involved. Here’s a round up of some things to consider.
Want to be a minimalist mom? Parent with less – your kids will be happier too
One of the first things that every new mother is presented with is a long list of essential items that must be immediately acquired in order to successfully carry, birth, adopt, foster or otherwise raise a child.
Aside from costing a small fortune (R90 000 a year at the most recent estimate) the sheer quantity of ‘stuff’ that children seem to need can be overwhelming. All this clutter in the home has been proven to cause parents to feel anxious, helpless and overwhelmed so it’s no wonder that the minimalist movement is gaining momentum.
A minimalist lifestyle promises a cleaner house, more time to do what you love and less stress on everyone.
Emigrating in 2019? How to help your children adjust
If you’re one of the many leaving South Africa in 2019, you’ll know what drives you. But whatever your reasons, your kids will need help to adjust, as they cannot always understand why this momentous move is happening. Even if this move is for their benefit, few children would choose to leave everything behind for an unknown future.
Read the full story on Parent24
We asked a few 20 somethings what they’re really spending their money on and their biggest purchases this year
What motivates us to spend the money we do, on the purchases we make? We spoke to clinical psychologist Enzo Sinisi, who provided us with some insight into what drives our buying behaviour.
Read the full story on W24
Could 2019 be the year you finally start your own business?
With the right support, there is no reason why you should keep your ideas to yourself. We spoke to some of South Africa’s brightest young female entrepreneurs to get advice, motivation and inspiration. With their insight, this could be the year you finally start your own business.
If you think freelancers only work for big corporates, you’re wrong
Freelancers are hired by big companies to fill in for employees or to briefly bolster resources, but what many people don’t realize is that freelancers are more frequently hired by small businesses, start-ups, entrepreneurs – and even by other freelancers.
Read the full story at FreelancerZA
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Wear a dress, save a life! How Milk Matters is encouraging the donation of breast milk
Milk Matters provides a life line for premature babies who would otherwise be at extreme risk. As the mother of a preemie myself, I do what I can to support organisations like this, and in this case that involved writing an article to create awareness about their December fundraising campaign, without charging for it:
Imagine for a moment, as you sit down to enjoy a Christmas feast with your family, that there is a tiny premature baby in a NICU not far away, who needs just 50ml of donated breast milkto get through the day. Without this life-saving liquid gold, she will not live to enjoy a healthy Christmas with her family next year.
“Too many mothers are throwing away life-saving breastmilk”
Just 50ml of breastmilk can feed a premature baby of under 1kg for a full 24 hours, but very often the babies’ mothers are unable to supply the required amount. This can be due to health issues or medical complications, or even a lack of information and resources.
This is where donor breastmilk comes to the rescue.
Read the full story on Parent24
Updated with a copy of the email I received from Jenny Wright, CEO of Milk Matters, the day after this article was published. I’m really moved to know that my article made an impact and that Milk Matters saw a marked increase in donations immediately.
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Want the big job? 4 women on top of their game tell us how to get that seat at the table
Only 29% of senior roles in South Africa are filled by women – how do we get to 50%?
Earlier this year the Grant Thornton ‘Women in business: beyond policy to progress’ report revealed that only 29% of senior roles in South Africa are now filled by women. While this is a small improvement on previous findings, it’s important to note that 20% of local businesses still have no women at all in senior positions.
What will it take to get to 50%? How can we as women tackle this disparity and drive change in South Africa?
We asked some of South Africa’s most inspiring female leaders to share their thoughts, and their insider tips, with us.
Hoping to breastfeed your twins? 6 twin moms share their top tips for success
One of the biggest challenges that all new moms face is often breastfeeding, and the thought of breastfeeding two babies at once can be overwhelming.
To help put your mind at ease, we spoke to twin moms who have mastered this amazing feat and successfully breastfed their twins, and they shared their insights and advice with us.
“I was catfished by my new dream job”
Starting a new job should be an exciting time, as you settle in to your new workspace, meet your new colleagues and get acquainted with your new workload. No doubt you’ve done your research on the company and have a freshly signed contract to guide you in your duties, and you feel ready to give it your all.
But what happens when your trust is betrayed? When the new job is not as advertised? These three women share their stories with us.
Instagram #careerpride Series
From November 2015 to March 2018 my team and I curated a popular Instagram account showcasing local professionals in their daily jobs.
We featured people from all walks of life, conducting interviews and arranging photoshoots with them to create a three-image series on Instagram and an article posted on Careers24.
Meet 5 of South Africa’s successful black women in science – and they’re under 35
It’s August in South Africa, which means a month of celebrating women and all that we are capable of. Despite the mis-led comments of one un-informed local CEO, there are plenty of accomplished young women launching successful careers in male dominated STEM fields, many of them doing so while navigating significant financial obstacles, or raising children, and often lacking professional support.
We spoke to Ndoni Mcunu, founder of Black Women in Science (BWIS), to find out what South African women who seek a career in the sciences can do to prepare themselves for success.
Update: This article was republished in the SDG Bulletin South Africa, which is curated by the United Nations in South Africa, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, and the SA SDG Hub.
Are meal-kit delivery businesses on the way out, or on the way up?
US-based meal-kit provider Blue Apron – which is listed on the NYSE and accounts for over 70% of the US market – has recently taken quite a knock. After testing out meal kits online, Walmart announced it will begin selling prepared meals in stores and as a result, Blue Apron stock dropped by 15%.
This activity prompted me to ask: In South Africa, are dinner kit delivery businesses actually on the way out, or are they on the way up?
Water crisis: cloth vs disposable nappies
So as a mother who uses cloth nappies, I am very aware of the amount of water I use to wash them. I decided to do some research to see if perhaps a temporary change to disposable nappies might be a better idea, and save the City some water.
“I literally cried driving down the road after listening to the ’Girl, Wash Your Face’ audiobook”
Full disclosure, I’m not a fan of self-help books. I find the advice twee and generic at best, and incomprehensible and privileged at worst.
I investigated and found I am not alone in this. Read the full story on W24.
Employer Branding: Liberty
In my role as Employer Brand Editor, I collected, edited and curated content in the form of images, videos and text to create a Company Showcase for Liberty that best represented their employee value proposition.
In total, four videos where created for Makro and included in their Company Showcase on Careers24.
Employer Branding: Makro
As Employer Brand Editor on this project, I collected, edited and curated content in the form of images, videos and text to create a Company Showcase for Makro that best represented their employee value proposition.
For the videos, I formulated a targeted questionnaire and interviewed the selected participants from behind the camera, on site in Johannesburg, before advising the videographer as to which snippets to use to create each video in line with the selected message.
In total, four videos where created for Makro and included in their Company Showcase on Careers24.
Waldorf schools: dispelling 5 myths
There are more than a thousand Waldorf schools in the world, and 17 of them are spread across South Africa. The schooling system, which has sometimes been considered a little “out there” or controversial, is steadily growing in popularity, but is still subject to some widespread negative misconceptions.
We interviewed Waldorf teachers, students and parents to get to the bottom of some of the more common myths. Anette Bestwick, a teacher at Michael Oak Waldorf in Kenilworth, Cape Town, kindly responded to our questions with some thorough answers.
Read the full story on Parent24
This article was republished in The Michael Oak and the Constantia Waldorf School newsletters.
“Sexual abuse will remain the ‘safest’ crime to commit because people know that it is most likely going to go unreported”
Sexual violence is an enduring problem in South Africa, and the majority of sexual offences go unreported. In the current era of #MeToo and female empowerment, we have to ask: why don’t women report sexual assault?
Joburg-based clinical psychologist Lungile Lechesa made it her mission to find answers to this question, completing her Masters on the topic in late 2017.
Update: This article was referenced in The Daily Maverick.
What it really means to find work with a criminal record in SA
If you’ve ever been charged with a crime and found guilty and sentenced, you will have a criminal record. Even paying an admittance of guilt fine will result in a record. Crimes can range from serious such as robbery to minor such as defamation of character. But every record carries a heavy cost for years to come.
We spoke to Ryan*, who was arrested for possession of methamphetamines in 2010. He appeared in court and paid a fine upon his conviction, which landed him with a criminal record that will last until 2020.
Are South Africans ready for gender-neutral birth certificates?
Did you know that gender neutral birth certificates are allowed in several countries?
In the U.S., adults in some states can now request to amend their birth certificates to reflect ‘X.
This third gender option is defined as “A gender that is not exclusively male or female, including, but not limited to, intersex, agender, amalgagender, androgynous, bigender, demigender, female-to-male, genderfluid, genderqueer, male-to-female, neutrois, nonbinary, pangender, third sex, transgender, transsexual, Two Spirit, and unspecified.”
A series of articles on mental illness in the context of the South African workplace
Stigma plays a major role in the persistent suffering, disability and economic loss associated with mental illnesses. In a series of interviews covering a variety of topics I shed some light on the subject.
Why Swedish Death Cleaning is not catching on in South African homes
Margareta Magnusson, the bestselling author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning (How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter), can’t stress this enough: it’s your responsibility to relieve your children of the burden (and sometimes enormous cost) of getting rid of your possessions when you no longer have use for them.
She outlined the Swedish phenomenon of ’death cleaning’ in her book. It’s about tidying up, minimising, and giving away heirlooms and treasured possessions to those you intend them for, while you are still alive.
Magnusson’s book was released last year, and, well, the concept really hasn’t caught on in South Africa.
Ten local resources for South African working moms
It’s no secret that working mothers are busy. Working on a career, achieving goals and moving up the ranks takes a lot of time and effort, but once there is also a family to manage… well, things start getting even harder to juggle.
We’ve rounded up the best homegrown resources that help working parents stay on top of their game at work and at home.
How do you treat a trans co-worker? Hint: just like any other co-worker
It’s been three years since “transgender” was announced as one of the top ten “Words of the Year” by the Collins English Dictionary. Caitlyn Jenner is old news, Laverne Cox is taking over women’s magazine covers around the world and nearly everyone knows of a trans person in their social circle.
Why then are trans employees still not accepted into the workplace?
If you can only do one thing, do THIS to take control of your money
In South Africa, recent research also shows that the pay gap is still too wide, and women are saving less than men towards their retirement. This is problematic because women live longer than men, and also often have dependants to support. These are just some of many challenges facing women who want to lead financially successful lives.
Could you really lose your job to a robot?
While popular culture reflects our fascination with the concept of artificial intelligence (AI) machines integrating with society and the possible impacts this will have on the world, it seems that a robotic workforce may become a reality much sooner than we thought.
Trends reported by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in January suggest that we have until 2020 to prepare to compete with artificially intelligent job seekers.
Titled the ‘Future of Jobs’, the WEF report revealed some possibly concerning information: Advanced robotics, self-driving cars, artificial intelligence and ‘machine learning’ will soon effect world economies, and our jobs. The biggest take away is the statement that a “net loss of 5.1 million jobs over the next five years__ is expected.” The study includes 15 leading economies, and South Africa is one of them.
Transgender Troubles in the South African Workplace
Ours was the first country in the world to expressly forbid discrimination on the grounds of gender and of sexual orientation, and our Constitution includes a guarantee of equality.
But because “the South African mindset is not as progressive as the South African constitution“, as explained by one trans interviewee, many transgender people choose to conceal their gender identity from their families, their friends and their co-workers for fear of discrimination.
Read the full story on Careers24
Is having a ’side piece’ the new dating norm?
This narrative, of a man with many women or wives, is not new, but it seems to be becoming more and more prevalent among those in their 20s. Talking with a number of women, it seems the concept of a man dating as many as five people at once is accepted and often even expected.
This new SA tool screens social media to see whether you will be a good employee
It’s no secret that recruiters and hiring managers to conduct online searches to see what they can find about an applicant. Companies are cautious in a world where one Penny Sparrow or Mabel Jansen on the team can bring down a business.
Recruiters vet candidates with a variety of in-house tools and tests, in addition to police clearances, academic checks, ID checks, reference checks, credit checks and requests for copies of official certifications, but none of these are able to predict an employee’s future behaviour.
The drought will push up wine prices by up to R47 a bottle. Stock up now with these reds.
Wine drinkers may yet feel the impact of the Western Cape drought in their pockets, with prices set for painful hikes.
Vineyards have seen the smallest crop in 13 years. Water restrictions meant less irrigation, which directly impacts yield. Bulk-wine growers have been hit the hardest, but boutique farms have been affected the water shortage too. Yields appear to be down between 10% in some areas, and in others as much as 50%.
Read the full story on Business Insider
R200 from the tooth fairy! What the South African mouse pays per tooth
The tooth mouse, or fairy if you prefer, is an almost universal concept. The loss of the first tooth is a significant milestone in the life of every child. So much so that the Waldorf School curriculum has a heavy emphasis on this stage of a child’s development, believing that the loss of the first teeth heralds a whole new phase of childhood.
Man who ghosted his wife for 20 years declared “dead”: women everywhere have the last laugh
A Romanian court has ruled that a 63-year-old man, who ghosted his wife nearly 20 years ago, is dead, with no possibility to appeal that decision. Even after he appeared in court himself, very much alive.