Five former Durban University of Technology students from the Journalism programme in the Department of Media, Language and Communication emerged victorious during the KwaZulu-Natal Regional Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards ceremony held at the Protea Hotel in Umhlanga, recently.

Former DUT journalism student and SABC reporter, Sbongakonke Mbatha was named 2024’s Young Journalist of the Year winner. Speaking about her achievement, Mbatha said that winning the award assures her that she is on the right path with her career.

“Winning Vodacom’s Young Journalist of the Year in KwaZulu-Natal has assured me that I’m doing well and I must now continue to soar and never look back because as far as my dreams are concerned the sky is not the limit,” said Mbatha.

Another Journalism graduate, Nabeelah Shaikh, scooped the Vodacom Journalist of the Year regional award in the print news category. She clinched the title for her breaking news investigation on the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine’s corruption story.

Dasen Thathiah, also a former journalism student and Nkanyiso Mdlalose, former Video Technology student respectively took home the regional award in the TV Features category. Scooping two regional awards in KwaZulu-Natal, one for 2024 Radio News and for 2024 Radio Feature is Vusi Khumalo of SABC News. Sebe Buthelezi from Etv/ENCA was named the Northern (Johannesburg) region Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award winner. Both Khumalo and Buthelezi are also DUT journalism graduates. 

The 2024 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards drew over 1000 entries from all over the country.  Chief Officer for Corporate Affairs at the Vodacom Group Takalani Netshitenzhe, said the KwaZulu-Natal regional awards took place on 17 October 2024 and journalists were recognised in 12 categories for their outstanding work.

“We are delighted to announce the regional winners in KwaZulu-Natal for the 2024 awards which honour journalists from around the country by recognising their best work from the previous year. We look forward to welcoming them at the national finals,” said Netshitenzhe.

Netshitenzhe further added that he felt that all winners were deserving and wished them all the luck in the national finals.  All the regional winners go through to the national awards in Johannesburg on 16 November 2024.