WAPAD ALUMNUS MAKES HER MARK

Megan Grobler

@megan.gro_bler

Daniëlla van Heerden, former Wapad editor and alumna of the North-West University (NWU), has made her mark in the journalism, writing, and reporting world. She has been a prominent figure in various publications and establishments, including NWU’s Wapad, Beeld, eNCA and eNuus.

Van Heerden attended Potchefstroom Gimnasium, where she wrote for the school newspaper, the Sasima. “I liked reading books and writing stories, so I’ve always had a knack for language,” she stated. This interest led her to consider becoming a teacher or a librarian until she joined the Sasima and was drawn to the world of journalism.

Later, she studied BA Communication at the NWU and became editor of Wapad. She was also a resident at Wag- ‘n-Bietjie ladies’ residence.

Van Heerden told Wapad that her time spent as editor was “wonderful and intense” as it was difficult to juggle the responsibilities of being the editor, being involved in residence activities, and studying.

She obtained her honours degree in journalism at Stellenbosch University. She then worked for the Beeld newspaper and was named Young Journalist of the Year in 2009.

In 2010, Van Heerden made a career change and opted to be in front of the cameras when KykNet and eNCA partnered to create an Afrikaans newsprint for KykNet. She also worked as a field reporter. But, feeling the need for more predictability and stability, van Heerden explained, “I became a newsreader when I had children as you can’t just get into a car and drive to wherever and not know when you are coming back.”

She has since also started a podcast, called ‘n Ma en ‘n Mikrofoon. She discusses maternal health, raising children and parenting. She said, “It is still journalism because I do interviews with experts and I inform, all while I chat.”

Other milestones in her career included being the press club’s journalist of the year in 2013 and 2014, being awarded a “Koker”-award for contribution to Afrikaans for young people by the Afrikaans Language Council, as well as a young alumnus of the year in 2017 at NWU, which Van Heerden called “a big honour.”

Her advice to aspiring journalists is: “Begin. Do not wait until you start working one day.” She also stated that you must be a media consumer to be a journalist: “Read news, watch news, listen to the radio. Look at who are good reporters or writers to you. Read as much and as wide as possible.”

Van Heerden disagrees with the notion that being a journalist requires you to be an extrovert. According to her, it is a skill that can be learnt over time. She stated, “I have two personas, the one is my journalist persona, which I wear like an outfit when I’m on the job, and the other one is me when I’m at home.”

To Van Heerden, the moments that stand out are those that she would not have experienced, if she was not a journalist. An example of such a moment, van Heerden shared, was her award-winning article on Bloodhound supersonic cars.

“I would never have been sitting in Hakskeen pan in the Kalahari at 05:00 in the morning and have driven with Sir Richard Noble, a land speed record holder, and reported about that. So, it’s something that puts you a bit out of your comfort zone and allows you to experience places and things that you wouldn’t have otherwise,” she explained.

Other highlights included encountering mountain gorillas in Rwanda and an interview with South Africa’s first lady, Dr Tshepo Matsepe.