Kushatha
Ndibi had her mind set on becoming either a political or investigative
journalist, but before she knew it, she was thrust into the world of sports
journalism, and she has achieved remarkable success.
The
29-year-old, who lives in South Kensington, Johannesburg, is a sports writer for the Star
Newspaper and her main focus is soccer.
With only her
second story for the Star Newspaper, Kushatha won the SAB newcomer Award on
merit, and from that moment onwards, she fell in love with the beautiful game?
Although, she
has tasted some success in the world of sports journalism, Kushatha believes
there is still a long way to go before South African editors, especially in the
field of soccer, allow women to take up major challenges, like covering a World
Cup.
She urges the
media to report more on women’s soccer to create a public interest and to put
pressure on the South African Football Association to improve the state of the
women’s game.
Kushatha, who
is currently pregnant with her first child, has faced many challenges as a
woman in sports journalism, and has overcome them. She urges young woman who
want to break into this field to be strong and do everything in their power to
persevere.
Introducing
gsport’s October Woman in Media, spunky soccer scribe, Kushatha Ndibi!
How long have you worked for The Star newspaper?
I started in
2003 but joined Sunday Sun for four months last year
Has it always been your dream to be a sports
journalist?
No. I wanted
to be a political or investigative journalist but my editor Matshelane
Mamabolo, who doubled up as a part time lecturer at Tshwane University of
Technology was impressed with an article I wrote and asked me to join The Star.
I was reluctant at first because I had a job as a news reporter at a Radio
station.
What did you do before you joined
The Star?
There was a
time when I wanted to be a lawyer, so I joined the Botswana Customary Court of
Appeal as a translator for a year. Then I got bored and became a car sales
person. I didn’t sell a single car in two months, so I quit. Then I became a
news reporter for Gabz-FM in Botswana.
What attracted you to soccer.
I hated
soccer at the beginning. Then I won the SAB newcomer Award on merit with my
second story for The Star and all of a sudden I was like wow, I really love
soccer!
Who are your favourite soccer players?
Thierry Henry
and Didier Drogba
How can we improve the state of women’s soccer in South Africa?
We have to
report more on women’s soccer so as to create public interest. This would also
put pressure on the South African Football Association to do more for women
players. However, writing a story is easy to do, getting it published is
another thing. I used to have my stories discarded simply because "Banyana
Banyana players are not pretty enough to make it into the paper." I’m glad
though that at Shoot, we made a decision to feature women as often as possible.
Who are some of the sports journalists you admire?
None in South Africa
but I love the way Kenyans cover sports. They have more investigative and
in-depth features while in SA, we rely more on previews and match reports while
using huge pictures to fill up the space.
Do you think South Africa will be ready to host
2010?
Definitely.
Everything is running on schedule especially the construction of stadiums.
What would you ideally like to be doing in 2010?
I don’t know
yet but I’m not sure if I’d still be a soccer writer. All I know is that I’d be
involved in soccer somehow.
What advice do you have for women who want to become
sports journalists?
Be strong
because even if you are dedicated and better than most of the writers, you will
be undermined. You will be expected to make tea, giggle a lot, answer the
phones and show a little cleavage! You will cry at times and want to give up,
but if you really love your job, you will do everything in your power to
persevere. And when you’ve achieved that, you will feel really good about
yourself.
What has been your biggest career highlight to date?
None yet. It
would only be when I win the CNN African journalist of the year Award. Oh, and
I love it when companies call to offer me jobs. It means I’m doing good.
Which other spectator sports do you enjoy?
Athletics,
netball and tennis.
What do you enjoy most about being a print journalist
and working on a daily newspaper?
I love the
pressure as well as my colleagues at Shoot. I also love seeing my name on the
newspaper, only when I’ve written a good piece though.
How do you keep fit?
I’m pregnant
with my first child and I’m too lazy to take up any form of exercise.
I used to go
to the gym once a month though!
What would be your dream sports event to cover as a
journalist?
Obviously the
World Cup but I’m realistic. There is still a long way to go before South
African editors, especially in the field of soccer, can allow women to take up
that kind of a challenge. Hopefully things will change soon.
What challenges have you faced as a woman in sports
journalism and how have you coped?
A lot,
especially from my colleagues. I was a window-dresser for a while and
shown off as the company’s achievement of having a black woman in a male
dominated department. I would be excluded from department conferences because
someone had to answer the phones. And for two years, I was forced to give up
writing and compile results. I didn’t get paid at some point and covering big
matches was just out of the question.
My articles
would only come out on Women’s day accompanied by a huge by-line picture.
Luckily I had Kareen Jonckheer, Jane
Bramley and Itumeleng Motuba, who shared the same problems, to talk to. They’ve
since left and I also gave up at one stage and got a job in PR. But Sunday Sun snapped me up and believed so
much in me. I was given big assignments and got rave reviews. Suddenly I got my
confidence back and I’ve never been happier.
Who are your role models?
My parents.
My mom passed away four months ago at 46-years old after achieving her dream of
graduating with two masters degrees. My dad on the other hand came from nothing
to be the deputy director of the Botswana ministry of Health.
What inspires you?
My love for writing.
gsport strives to celebrate femininity. How would you
define femininity?
I don’t know!
I guess being strong and looking good at it counts, right?
What is your greatest ambition?
To get my
masters degree and I have a large farm in Botswana which I will turn into a
commercial farm one day. I would also love to be a publicist for women’s
soccer.
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