Name: Shonisani Makhari
Age: 27
Occupation: Journalist for Business Report
Describe your typical day at work
My day starts early at 6 o’clock because there are always breakfast meetings to attend. Conference is at 10 o’clock, where you discuss what is on your diary for the rest of the day. After a day of interviews and meetings, we have to file our stories at 6pm. If I am writing a feature then sometimes I work until much later. The day of a journalist is very busy.
Is there a dress code at work?
Yes and no. The editors would like us to put on a tie when we go to see executives, but when you are sure you will not be meeting anyone, it’s not neccessary. You just need to be presentable.
Who do you report to?
I report to both our two assistant editors regarding copy and other content-related issues and I report directly to the editors about other issues such as perfomance levels, coming to work late, relationships with the business world, disciplinary issues etc.
Why did you become a business journalist?
It happened by accident. I have a degree in commerce, insurance and financial management and was completely bored with being accountant. I knew someone at the newspaper and applied for a job as a financial reporter at The Star.
There is a perception that business reporting is difficult and boring. How do you respond?
It is definitely not boring but rather so much fun. You have to love business and news. You must have the desire to know about what is happening economically around the world.
What qualifications do you need to do your job?
It is advisable to do a degree in economics or finance and a diploma in journalism, because you need to know how to write. You need to be able to ask probing questions, not just reproduce press releases. You could study a journalism degree majoring in economics.
What personal skills are most important to do your job well? Analytical skills would come in handy, and for my beat you must be comfortable with dealing with numbers. You have to be a people person — that’s how you make good contacts. Self-confidence is also important.
As a young journalist in the field, are you taken seriously?
Age is not an issue. You have to earn respect. You build your reputation.
What is the salary of a business journalist?
It starts off between R6 000 to R7 000, but based on performance you can definitely increase your salary.
What inspires you about your job?
Business inspires me. Press freedom is very important to put pressure on companies. There is a lot of job satisfaction.
What do you hate about your job?
Every time I invite a company for lunch, they think I am the enemy. Journalists are viewed suspiciously by the business world.
What advice would you give an aspiring business journalist?
Have enthusiasm for the job. You have to want this job. You get to travel a lot and it pays off eventually. I am going to Cambridge on a scholarship — that would not have been offered to me if I was an accountant.
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, June 2001.