Dear Safreans,
As the new Chairperson of Safrea, I am proud to introduce our newly elected Executive Team. Armed with a wealth of experience and equipped with lessons from the past, we have made meaningful progress in our short tenure of one month. We are committed to building a stronger Safrea – making a significant impact on the future of freelancing in Southern Africa. I am pleased to share our vision, achievements and future plans.

As the new Exco our vision is to strive for a better Safrea. We want to break down silos in leadership to best serve our members, increase member benefits, enhance collaboration, community, support and create structures for Safrea to thrive as an organisation in a new era. Our achievements and future plans are aligned with this vision:

• Code of Ethics and Conduct – We compiled and implemented a new Code.
• Constitution – We established a team to tackle the much-needed improvements to our Constitution.
• Restructuring – We restructured Exco to enhance focus and service delivery.
• Communications – We created a strategic- and operations arm, the latter with a team supporting the execution of the strategy.
• Digital platforms – We are looking into new platforms to enhance communication and collaboration among members.
• New region – The Emerging Region was established, representing Mpumalanga, North West and Eswatini.
• Membership – We are working on new vetting criteria, a membership drive strategy, membership benefit strategy, and amendments to membership categories and rates. The latter is paving the way for an influx of new and upcoming science journalists as Provisional Members.
• Fund raising – New opportunities are being explored.
• Advocacy – We’ve taken the following steps to advocate for you:
  • Member survey – We are finalising a comprehensive survey to gain insight into your views and needs regarding networking with other independent professionals and the broader business community. The results will guide us to developing tailored programmes. The survey will be rolled out in the Western Cape first, then nationally.
  • Advocacy Framework 2023 – We’ve been working diligently on a formal enabling framework to advocate for you. It is aimed at promoting freelancers’ interests, establishing a supportive work environment, enabling us to rally around issues that affect us while enjoying the institutional support of Safrea.
  • Draft Copyright Amendment Bill – We are actively participating in discussions surrounding this draft bill. We strive for fair and balanced legislation, ensuring that the rights and interests of our members are protected.

Like all organisations, Safrea also faces its share of difficulties. It is during these challenging times that our collective resilience and commitment to our shared vision are tested. As Exco, we are committed to navigating these challenges with transparency, providing reassurance along the way.

We are open for your input and contribution. Be the change that you want to see. If you want to be part of our exciting plans, we invite you to contact Matthew Jordaan at vc@safrea.co.za or Lionel Krieger at advocacy@safrea.co.za

Yours in freelancing,

Hush Naidoo, Chairperson