Social media is not only a great way to find out the latest news, but journalists often rely on it as a tipoff for stories.
The platform also allows them to spread news quickly to their followers, and allows them to provide commentary on all manner of topics. We looked at some of the most prominent journalists on Twitter
Note: These are for individuals, not the Twitter accounts of media publications or organisations.
Barry Bateman – @barrybateman
A senior reporter at Eyewitness News, Barry has also written a book. His Twitter bio adds, “I DJ, tweet about food, beer, SA life and whatever piques my interest”.
Followers: 436 998
Following: 1 260
Number of Tweets: 62 429
Date joined: 14 June 2010
Ferial Haffajee – @ferialhaffajee
Current editor-at-large at Huffington Post SA, Ferial is well known in the industry. Her most recent battle has been against fake news, in which she has taken part in multiple panel discussions.
Followers: 392 640
Following: 2 387
Number of Tweets: 34 099
Date joined: 13 November 2009
Mandy Wiener – @MandyWiener
Known mostly for her work on Eyewitness News, Mandy is also the author of Killing Kebble, My Second Initiation and Behind the Door. Her Twitter bio describes her as a journalist, tweeter, speaker, storyteller, investigator and mother.
Followers: 273 764
Following: 1 917
Number of Tweets: 37 687
Date joined: 11 February 2009
Stephen Grootes – @StephenGrootes
Another Eyewitness News employee, Stephen is known for his hard hitting interviews and deep investigations. He describes himself as a politics addict and a commuter cyclist. Aside from his work with Primedia Broadcasting, he also writes for the Daily Maverick.
Followers: 214 468
Following: 615
Number of Tweets: 15 544
Date joined: 11 November 2009
Karyn Maughan – @karynmaughan
Best known for her work at eNCA as a legal journalist, Karyn describes herself as an optimist. Her live tweeting from press conferences and court cases is arguably unmatched.
Followers: 206 573
Following: 1 407
Number of Tweets: 33 903
Date joined: 20 November 2010
Aki Anastasiou – @AkiAnastasiou
If you want to know anything about new technology, products or tech trends, then Aki is the person you want to be following on Twitter. Being as in touch with tech as he is, Aki was one of the first journalists on this list to start using Twitter.
Followers: 193 927
Following: 948
Number of Tweets: 29 556
Date joined: 24 May 2008
Gus Silber – @gussilber
An infrequent Tweeter as of late, Silber has a very interesting Twitter bio that reads, “I play with words, and sometimes work with them too, as a journalist/author/scriptwriter/speechwriter/TweetWriter.” He is one of the journalists on this list to be following the most people on Twitter and to post the most Tweets.
Followers: 116 670
Following: 54 554
Number of Tweets: 51 653
Date joined: 26 June 2008
Adriaan Basson – @AdriaanBasson
Current News24 editor Adriaan lives by a simple philosophy, “Media Freedom. Digital First. Facts Matter.” He has a picture of a packed rugby stadium as his cover photo on Twitter.
Followers: 114 046
Following: 2 114
Number of Tweets: 19 872
Date joined: 11 September 2010
Ranjeni Munusamy – @RanjeniM
Ranjeni is currently Associate Editor of Analysis at Tiso Blackstar Group. She labels herself as an “Ex Maverick” and “Catholic guerrilla”.
Followers: 95 695 followers
Following: 1 464
Number of Tweets: 42 631
Date joined: 7 May 2010
Peter Bruce – @Bruceps
Editor-at-large for Tiso Blackstar Group, Bruce used to be the editor of Business Day and Financial Mail. Previously he was the Madrid, Bonn Corr & UK News Editor. In his Twitter bio he makes his sporting allegiances very clear, listing Sharks, Saracens, Pirates, Spurs and Real Madrid.
Followers: 89 122
Following: 789
Number of Tweets: 25 435
Date joined: 18 March 2009
Carien du Plessis – @carienduplessis
A self described “word mercenary”, Carien’s Twitter bio illustrates the creative ways of her writing. It says, “In love with the road. Married to the story. Captured by politics and Africa rising”. She recently wrote a book about Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma titled ‘Woman in the Wings’.
Followers: 87 452
Following: 2 474
Number of Tweets: 74 201
Date joined: 23 September 2010
Thulasizwe Simelane – @ThulasSims
This eNCA journalist describes himself as a patriot and his Twitter bio emphasises his outspoken nature. It says, “Itai Dzamara and others who’ve been made to disappear for their activism are Africans too and it’s not the West that’s responsible”.
Followers: 71 762
Following: 1 044
Number of Tweets: 11 515
Date joined: 29 December 2011
Gugulethu Mhlungu – @GugsM
Followers: 56 606
Following: 1 015
Number of Tweets: 174 006Date joined: 2 July 2009
Verashni Pillay – @verashni
Most recently known for the controversy around the Shelly Garland Huff Post SA scandal, former Mail & Guardian editor, Verashni now works at Power FM.
Followers: 49 148
Following: 1 157
Number of Tweets: 21 724
Date joined: 7 October 2008
Sipho Hlongwane – @comradesipho
As the “author of a poorly-received book”, in his own words, Sipho has written for numerous publications.
Followers: 44 781
Following: 1 544
Number of Tweets: 71 388
Date joined: 21 March 2010
Andisiwe Makinana – @AndiMakinana
“In pursuit of scoops. In an abusive relationship with the mighty and glorious Buccaneers”, that is how Makinana describes herself on Twitter. She also has the Scapegoat tag on her profile.
Followers: 44 780
Following: 2 381
Number of Tweets: 106 270
Date joined: 6 September 2009
Lester Kiewit – @lesterkk
A well known journalist and reporter for eNCA, Kiewit is best known for his coverage of protests and strikes.
Followers: 44 338
Following: 1 652
Number of Tweets: 33 571
Date joined: 14 June 2009
Khadija Patel – @khadijapatel
Current editor-in-chief of the Mail & Guardian, Patel describes her job as “pushing words on street corners”.
Followers: 43 727
Following: 2 679
Number of Tweets: 54 830
Date joined: 5 December 2008
Rebecca Davis – @becsplanb
A Rhodes University and Oxford alumni, Davis currently works for The Daily Maverick. In 2015 she wrote ‘Best White and Other Anxious Delusions’, which explored whiteness in South Africa.
Followers: 41 165
Following: 2 909
Number of Tweets: 31 263
Date joined: 14 March 2010
Phillip de Wet – @phillipdewet
Once labeled as The Daily Maverick’s “live-tweeting specialist”, De Wet is now the associate editor at Mail & Guardian (M&G). In his Twitter bio, he clearly states that the views expressed on the account are not those of M&G.
Followers: 39 098
Following: 315
Number of Tweets: 13 469
Date joined: 7 January 2010
Nickolaus Bauer – @NickolausBauer
A proudly South African journalist who works for eNCA, Bauer describes himself as opinionated and sarcastic.
Followers: 34 069
Following: 1 734
Number of Tweets: 19 256
Date joined: 28 April 2009
Toby Shapshak – @shapshak
Working across Forbes Africa, Financial Mail and Stuff Magazine, Shapshak describes his role as to “write and speak about how innovation is better in Africa”.
Followers: 33 291
Following: 488
Number of Tweets: 42 975
Date joined: 15 March 2008
Ray Hartley – @hartleyr
Current editor of the Rand Daily Mail, for Tiso BlackStar Group, Hartley is also the author of ‘The Big Fix – How South Africa Stole the 2010 World Cup and Ragged Glory’. He has just finished a book on Cyril Ramaphosa.
Followers: 31 509
Following: 464
Number of Tweets: 20 207
Date joined: 21 August 2007
Brendan Boyle – @BrendanSAfrica
Boyle is a researcher, reporter, editor, analyst and commentator on politics, the economy and land rights. He previously worked as the Parliamentary Bureau Chief of Tiso Blackstar Group (when it was called Avusa). He is the journalist on this list who has the lowest number of Tweets posted.
Followers: 27 126
Following: 360
Number of Tweets: 3 695
Date joined: 23 January 2009
Kevin McCallum – @KevinMcCallum
Sports writer McCallum, is “still learning not to tweet when angry” and stresses that “all views are my own and not my employers. Except when I say something clever”. He is also known for his live tweeting of events.
Followers: 26 667
Following: 3 136
Number of Tweets: 113 246
Date joined: 1 December 2008
Sam Mkokeli – @msmkokeli
Mkokeli works for Bloomberg News as a journalist covering government, political parties, power, public policy, and society. He also refers to himself as a “media freedom crusader” and is one of the people on this list with the fewest Tweets posted.
Followers: 23 339
Following: 1 145
Number of Tweets: 9 932
Date joined: 27 January 2011
Duncan McLeod – @mcleodd
Another tech expert on this list, McLeod is the founder of and editor at Tech Central. He has also contributed to the Sunday Times and podcasts. In his Twitter bio he also describes himself as a progressive rock fan, dog lover and trail runner.
Followers: 21 828
Following: 443
Number of Tweets: 20 928
Date joined: 19 December 2007
Nadia Neophytou – @NadiaNeophytou
Based in New York City for Primedia Broadcasting, Neophytou is mostly known for her coverage of the entertainment sector. In her Twitter bio she describes herself as a professional name dropper, amateur marathon runner and culture on the run – literally.
Followers: 19 046
Following: 2 088
Number of Tweets: 37 794
Date joined: 23 January 2009
All data was sourced directly from Twitter and was correct as of writing.
If there is a personality that is not on this list, which you feel was overlooked, please email michael@wagthedog.co.za.
Follow Michael Bratt on Twitter @MichaelBratt8
