Charles Leonard of the New Frame Podcast. His body of work included a story titled Who’s the blues for? which chronicles the broad influence of that music genre in a compelling way that incredibly evokes the audience’s emotional experience.
Daily Maverick photographer Shiraaz Mohamed. For the image of the KZN floods of the body of a baby washed up on a Durban beach – underlining how the real loss in this disaster was the loss of life and a delicate photo-essay depiction of a cancer patient in the hospital.
Financial Mail’s Lisa Steyn for her untiring pursuit of truth in the article: Inside SA’s Mining Mafia and her in-depth expose of the criminal element present in the mining sector.
Mamaili Mamaila of The Outlier for her body of work bringing both new insight and new coverage techniques to South African football.
Jacques Myburgh of Taalgenoot for his story of farming on the rooftops of the Johannesburg CBD entitled Boere in Beton.
EWN’s Abigail Javier with contributor Mia Lindeque for her body of work Mahikeng – The city of shame and Haunting the Dead for the empathy and deep feeling, decrying the state of cemeteries countrywide and also reliving the former iconic town of Mafikeng and what it has since become under a democratic state: a horror town with filth everywhere.
Kgomotso Modise from Eyewitness News for his reports on the Rosettenville crime scene and the arrest of the defense lawyer in the Senzo Meyiwa case.
Commendations in this category are made to Jeff Wicks for his piece titled the Battlefield for the Rosettenville story, and Karyn Maughan for the arrest of the Gupta brothers in Dubai. Both journalists are with News24.
the winner is The Citizen’s Faizel Patel.
The judges commend Kyle Cowan of News24, who covered one of South Africa’s biggest stories, the demise of Eskom.
The judges commend Samantha Herbst of News24, who tackled a tragedy of huge proportions - a mother who killed her three young children.
The judges commend Hamilton Wende from Daily Maverick for tacking questions that many South Africans will be dealing with as they confront their past in an attempt to build their future.
The joint winners are Norman Masungwini of City Press for his expose of government vehicles left to rot, R480 million Bill For Idle State Cars, and Charles Leonard of New Frame for his body of work, among which is the blood-chilling revelations of the torture under the apartheid regime.
Commendations went to Tebogo Tshwane of AmaBhungane for his untiring efforts to find the truth behind the Phala Phala alleged robbery with his piece: Ramaphosa’s Stolen Million: The Namibian Connection.
Judges gave a word of encouragement to Chanel Retief of Forbes Africa for his story: Anger, Anarchy: The despair of Business and people united in Hope.
eNCA’s Hloni Mtimkulu for her body of work, and especially her relentless investigation into the scourge of rampant abuse of children in sport after being entrusted to the care of coaches and instructors.
Winners Jeff Wicks and Kyle Cowan of News24 brought to light new facts about two of the biggest stories in South Africa in 2022. The stories are the callous murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran and Eskom.
The judges commended Dewald van Rensburg, of Amabhungane for exposing the criminal syndicates involved in the “illicit economy” that involves illegal dealings in gold, and tobacco as well as defrauding the South African Revenue Services.
The judges commended Devi Sankaree of eTV, for her outstanding investigative journalism expose of a sweatshop right in the middle of affluent Johannesburg North.
Kyle Cowen for the body of work: How Eskom was Broken, with contributors Azarrah Karrim and Sipho Masondo and Phala Phala: The President’s Big Dollar Headache, with contributors: Jeff Wicks, Alfonso Nqunjana, Sipho Masonda and Qaanita Hunter.Jeff Wicks for body of work Silenced - Why Babita Deokaran was murdered’with no contributors.
Regional category winners receive R5,000, national category winners take home R10,000. The overall Vodacom Journalist of the Year winner receives R100,000. Should there be joint winners, the prize money is shared.
The competition’s judging panel reviewed more than 1,700 entries nationally.
This year’s VJOY judging panel consists of the convener of the judging panel, Mapi Mhlangu and judges Elna Rossouw, Jermaine Craig, Arthur Goldstuck, Ryland Fisher, Professor Gilbert Motsaathebe, Patricia McCracken, Collin Nxumalo, Jovial Rantao, Advocate Robin Sewlal and Obed Zilwa. Collectively, the media experience of our full judging panel exceeds 300 years.The national awards ceremony will take place on 24 November 2022 and will be a hybrid event
