Charndré Emma Kippie

For Charndré Emma Kippie, 31, storytelling is more than a profession. Growing up in Lotus River and Grassy Park, in Cape Town, Charndré recognised the lack of representation, which fuelled a lifelong mission to amplify underrepresented voices and ensure their stories are heard. Today, Charndré is the editor of Club and ClubX, two of TFG’s flagship monthly magazines reaching hundreds of thousands of readers. Under her leadership, the publications have become spaces to connect, inspire and educate, with a strong focus on heartfelt storytelling that empowers readers to dream bigger. A Stellenbosch University alumna,  Charndré holds an MA in visual studies, graduating with accolades that include Golden Key International Honour Society membership. She has led ClubX to multiple SA Publication Forum awards, including Best Cover Design and  Excellence in Communication for their 2023 Pride issue. Charndré is a committed volunteer, supporting animal welfare, blood donation and food security initiatives. She credits her success to a circle of strong women mentors who encouraged her to push boundaries and perfect her craft.

• BA Humanities, Stellenbosch University
• BA Hons in Visual Studies, Stellenbosch University (*funded by the National Research Foundation)
• MA in Visual Studies, Stellenbosch University (*funded by the Harry Crossley Scholarship Fund)
• Awarded membership of the Golden Key International Honour Society (top 15% of class)

• Interviewed, learned from, and told the stories of prominent South African figures, including Theo Baloyi, Dr Leila Fourie, Siv Ngesi, Nadia Jaftha, Marc Lottering, Emo Adams, Liezel van der Westhuizen, Cheslin Kolbe and Amy Kleinhans-Curd.
• SA Publication Forum Recognition (June 2023 Pride issue) – with the ClubX team, won: Best Cover Design – Excellence in Communication – Excellence in Design and Photography – 2nd runner-up in the Consumer Publication category.
• Completed professional development courses via HubSpot Academy and Skillsoft.
• At Topco Media, conceptualised and developed the content pillars and tone for two new publications: Public Sector Leaders and Top HR Leaders.
• Received internal awards at Topco Media: Top Performance (2021) – Marvellous Multi-Tasker of the Year (2021).

Having a community of strong, empathetic women around you can really change your life, and I have had the privilege of being mentored and uplifted by some amazing women I have met in my career. Firstly, Bianca Hartel and Shanaaz Petersen embraced and encouraged me as I entered the media space — it was scary at first. Then, Keshia Africa, Saadiqah Schroeder and Melissa Ndlovu, whose tenacity and gumption got me out of my head, centred and refocused on my goals. Lastly, I am grateful to the incomparable Justine Drake, who pushed me to break away from my comfort zone, not be lazy, and become a better writer.