Western Cape regional winners for the 2024 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards announced

Source: Supplied.

More than 1,200 entries were received from journalists around the country as they shared examples of their best work from the past year.

The regional winners, who each received R5, 000 are:

• Live reporting/ breaking news – Robin-Lee Francke from IOL for “Joshlin Smith”
• Investigative – Caryn Dolley from Daily Maverick for "SA's drug dons - where they are now”
• Opinion – Don Pinnock from Daily Maverick for “Trading in wild things: Major rethink required, for biodiversity’s sake”
• Lifestyle – Robin-Lee Francke from IOL for “Thinking of adopting or becoming a safety or foster parent in South Africa? Here are all the details you need to know”
• Features – Willemien Brümmer from Netwerk24 for a series on neurodiversity
• Photography – Ayanda Ndamane from Cape Times for “Pro-Palestine and Pro-Israel supporters clashed with Police”
• Sport – Nick Dall from Financial Mail for “White-washing the history of black rugby”
• Financial and Economics – Susan Comrie from AmaBhungane for “The gas oligarchs”
• Politics – Catherine Rice with contributors Dan Clayton, Erin Bates and Greg Nelson from Carte Blanche for “Knysna Collapse”
• Sustainability – Victoria O'Regan with contributor Kristin Engel from Daily Maverick for “Taking stock – staggering scale of Western Cape wildfires as fire season continues to rage”
• Innovation in journalism – Andrew Thompson from Financial Mail for “Opening salvoes in the Amazon vs Takealot battle”

The national awards will be announced on 7 November at an awards ceremony where national category winners will receive R10 000, and the overall Vodacom Journalist of the Year titleholder R100 000.