For the past four years, Celine Abraham has been a driving force at gsport, steadily working her way up to become one of the most respected and consistent storytellers in the realm of women’s sport in South Africa.
Her relentless dedication to amplifying the voices of women athletes and closing the visibility gap has earned her well-deserved recognition.
Recently honoured as one of the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans, Abrahams’ journey has been one of hard work, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to her craft.
In this exclusive interview, she shares her insights on achieving consistency, the transformative role of partnerships in driving positive storytelling, and her inspiring vision for the future of women’s sport.
Brace yourself for an enlightening conversation with Celine, a trailblazer who is reshaping the landscape of women’s sport media.
Celine, congratulations on being included in the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans List. What does this recognition mean to you?
Thank you so much! I am truly honoured to receive this recognition and to be acknowledged for my work. I have been in the sport media space for seven years now and to get this continental recognition is a pat on the back for all the hard work I have put in. This award also fuels my passion to improve and continue to play my role in championing women’s sport coverage.
Also, I must share my gratitude to the Mail & Guardian for shining the spotlight on the younger generation and giving us the added motivation to continue rising in our respective careers.
And, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to the gsport Team for all the support and affording me opportunities to try my hand in different roles in the sport media industry.
You were recognized for your role in championing women’s sport coverage and closing the visibility gap during The Year of Women’s Sport. How have you managed to be so consistent that you attracted the attention of a top mainstream media organization like M&G?
I believe everything you achieve all boils down to being committed and dedicated to your craft. I have always wanted to be better than the person I was the previous day. From my days in school to the person I am today, I have always gone above and beyond to improve despite the challenges that I may face along the way.
I also believe in hard work – you can’t sit back and hope that you will achieve your goals, unfortunately the world doesn’t work that way! You have to put your best foot forward every day and have the desire to take your career to the next level.
What role have partners played in ensuring the consistency of the gsport Newsroom in fulfilling the mandate of raising the profile of women’s sport through positive storytelling?
Over the years, the gsport Newsroom has been boosted with partnerships with Momentum, Telkom, Brand South Africa and the South African Media Innovation Program, who have made a positive impact in terms of the development and growth of the Newsroom Team.
Since these respective brands came on board, we have been able to put money into the pockets of young women journalists, affording them the platform to not only earn a salary, but to also gain valuable experience in the media space. It is wonderful that we get give opportunities to media students who are still in university and are looking to get much-needed work experience and all of this would not have been possible without the backing of our sponsors, who are investing in the future of women in sport.
The gsport Newsroom recently celebrated a successful media campaign with LUX South Africa. What was the key to the success of activating the #ChangeTheAngle campaign?
The LUX South Africa #ChangeTheAngle campaign was an exciting media opportunity for the gsport Team to be part of as the messaging highlighted sexism in sport and challenged the media to change the focus of women sport coverage from one that objectifies female athletes to one that celebrates their sporting prowess and achievements, which is gsport’s aim.
The alignment of messaging between the two brands contributed to the success of the campaign as we highlighted the achievements of women volleyball players and had the opportunity to share the positive stories of the game of volleyball in South Africa.
This campaign also afforded us the opportunity to appoint rising sport presenter, Faheedah Crouch, who provided outstanding coverage of the event across gsport’s platforms.
It’s also good to see the advertising side of gsport.co.za picking up with Brand South Africa recently booking a month-long advertising campaign. How does it feel that big brands and corporates are seeing value in what gsport does?
What an exciting time it is for gsport!! It brings a smile to my face to see how brands and corporates are seeing the value that gsport has in the women’s sport game and are eager to be part of the investment in the future of women’s sport.
Also, with Brand South Africa taking on the month-long advertising campaign, it opens doors for other corporates to jump on board. Massive thanks to Brand South Africa for leading the way and sticking to their mission to #PlayYourPart!
What is your advice to young women in sport who are searching for a breakthrough?
To never give up! Along your journey there’s going to be many setbacks, challenges, and closed doors but you have to persevere. The more you keep knocking on those closed doors, one will eventually open and when you look back, you will be glad you didn’t cave in on your dream.
Another tip – when you get an opportunity, grab it with both hands and make the most of it! I always tell interns who join gsport to make the best impression because it could be a life-changing chance and their breakthrough into the industry. Never take opportunities that come your way for granted!
Who are your role models and what have they inspired you to do?
I am truly inspired by women in sport – both on and off the field, young and old – who have broken glass ceilings and paved the way for the next generation. I joined gsport in 2019, and along the way I have come across inspiring stories of women who have endured and faced countless challenges but never threw in the towel. Their stories have inspired me to always rise above no matter what comes my way. Through their stories I have learnt that there is always a solution to every challenge.
What is your wish for women’s sport?
Over the years, women’s sport has grown immensely, and we have to appreciate that even though we still have more work to do.
My wish is for us to be international about create more opportunities, more competitions for women to showcase their talents, more marketing of women’s sport, more endorsements deals, investment and tell as many relatable and positive stories as we can.
The #gsport18 campaign is currently underway, how can the public get involved?
This is my favourite time of the year (smiling from ear to ear) because we get to celebrate the achievements in women’s sport on Africa’s longest running women’s sport recognition platform!
There are 20 categories where the public can nominate a deserving candidate. You can head over to https://gsport.co.za/awards and play your part to honour individuals who are playing a major role in the women’s game.
What is your greatest ambition?
I am really happy that I have the opportunity to tick as many boxes as possible in the media space, now the next step is to cement my spot in the sponsorship and commercial side of sport. I have a keen interest in the sport business industry, and I’d like to continue paving the way for women in this space.
Photo Caption: Meet Celine Abrahams, a trailblazer who is reshaping the landscape of women’s sport media. Photo: Supplied
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