Happy New Month fellow Safreans.

It is so pleasing to have an opportunity to communicate with you again. After all, communication is at the heart of all we do.

I hesitated putting out this message on April 1, fearing that some of my announcements may have been taken in jest. Some of these commemorated days are a damp squib for us in the reporting world. But nonetheless here it is.

As Safrea, we have finished off a very productive first quarter of 2025 and I am excited to make

the following few announcements:

EXCO’S EASTER GIFTS TO RENEWING MEMBERS

In the spirit of the holiday season which is upon us, Safrea Executive members Rachael Naidu and Kate Thompson Davy have pledged to give away a total of five books to renewing Safreans this month. Dr Naidu will gift three copies of the book 120 years of the African Easter Rugby Tournament by Hendrik Synders, Sabelo Mzanywa and Mzukisi Twala.

Kate’s gift books will be Manage Your Money like a ***** Grownup by Sam Beckbessinger, and Shea Karssing’s Freelance Like a Boss.

Seeing such a wonderful initiative from the members, I cannot be left behind and also pledge two

Exclusive Books Gift Cards to the value of R350 each.

During April and May we will have two draws in each month for those who renew during these months.

We will also give the books voucher to the two members who bring in the most new members during these months. The members will alert our admin Thea of referrals they have made, in order to qualify.

APPOINTMENT OF KAY JOHNSTONE TO CONTENT DEVELOPERS AND CREATORS CLUSTER

It gives me great joy to announce that Safrea Vice Chairperson Kay Johnstone has been nominated and appointed as a board member of the yet-to-be established national sector organisation for the Books and Publishing: Content Developers and Creators. This is in terms of the bosberaad convened by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture last August for the Cultural and Creative Sector. The purpose for this bosberaad was for the Minister to understand the needs of the sector and how government can better support the sector. The VC will be in the portfolio of Layout Designers, Photographers, Research and Development as a subsector on terms stipulated on DSAC Arts guidelines. Congratulations to her. She has pledged to keep membership informed of all issues raised that interest Safrea in order for us to also have a voice in the association. We have always relied on her for her meticulous spirit of ensuring that things are done according to the set guidelines and believe she will be an asset to the new body and represent the interests of Safrea very well.

SANEF and Safrea MOU signed

As Safrea alone we cannot avail ourselves of all the opportunities and empowerment needed by our side base of freelancers. It gives me pleasure to announce that we have signed an MOU with the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF). Following discussions we had with SANEF executive, there was an agreement that we share mutual interests. We agree that it is better to consolidate and collaborate where appropriate, rather than to work in isolation on matters of common interest. Some of the outputs of this MOU are agree to disseminate any information from the other organisation that may be of interest to their respective members, promote the other organisation to their members/database and to the broader networks of which they are part.

To make sure that we make this effective we also agree to meet at least three times a year to discuss current projects and potential partnerships/collaborations. We will therefore be in consultation with you Safreans for your input on how we can make this agreement benefit us all well.

On that happy note, I wish to also inform you that a Newsletter is in production. Please share any information to newsletter@safrea.co.za.

We hope to have it out by Easter, to give you something to read over the holidays. Please feel free to get in touch with me on chair@safrea.co.za should you wish to engage on any Safrea-related issue or to volunteer on any of our portfolios, especially our vacant Communications portfolio.

I wish you a super April ahead! Yours,

Nathi Gule

CHAIRPERSON