As the host of The Midday Report on 702 and Cape Talk, a weekly columnist for EWN, and an award-winning author, Mandy Wiener is one of the most trusted voices in South Africa’s media landscape.

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ABOUT MANDY

Mandy is one of the country’s best known and most credible journalists and authors. She is the current host of the Midday Report on 702 and Cape Talk and is a regular columnist for EWN.

She has published numerous best-selling books and is a prominent social media commentator.

For the past two decades Mandy has worked as a multi award-winning reporter specialising in investigative journalism and legal matters.

Covering stories such as the trial of former national police commissioner Jackie Selebi and the murder of Brett Kebble, she earned a reputation for her work in exposing South Africa’s criminal underworld. These included exposes on Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir, Teazers boss Lolly Jackson and other mysterious murders.

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WRITING

Mandy was short-listed in the prestigious ‘Alan Paton Sunday Times Literary Awards’ for her book, ‘Killing Kebble’ which was a local publishing phenomenon, selling in excess of 100 000 copies. It was also chosen as Jenny Crwys-Williams’ ‘Book of the Year’ in 2011.

Her second book, ‘My Second Initiation’, written with former head of the NPA Vusi Pikoli, was also short-listed for the Alan Paton award and was Crwys-William’s non-fiction book of the year in 2013. In 2014, she published ‘Behind The Door: The Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp Story’ with her colleague Barry Bateman.

The book was released internationally and contained new, exclusive information about the trial. Her 2018 book, Ministry of Crime, took a deep dive into organised crime, police corruption and politics. In 2020, Mandy published The Whistleblowers highlighting the stories of several South African whistleblowers and advocating for a change in legislation and culture.

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SPEAKING

Mandy is a regular feature on the speaking circuit. She addresses conferences, corporates and gatherings and also facilitates panels and discussions with a unique perspective on current affairs and how history unfolds in South Africa.

She focuses on ‘Hope Dealers’: the good people who did their jobs, the whistleblowers who felt compelled to speak truth to power, the civil society activists who stepped into the breach and the journalists who dug up the dirt to hold authorities to account.

There are lessons in these stories for corporates and for individuals on what needs to be done to improve governance, to change legislation and to create a speak-up culture in order to root out corruption. Most importantly these stories will inspire the audience not to be apathetic or complacent, but to fight for a better South Africa.

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MEDIA TRAINING

Thanks to her extensive background in media and journalism, Mandy has gained a lifetime of insight into how best to handle interviews and media.

In personalised training sessions, she offers theory and practical training, covering topics such as the SA media landscape, messaging for media, media rights and how to deal with journalists and crisis communications. Sessions also include training on writing for media, including thought leadership and opinion pieces. Click the button below to book Mandy for media training.

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ACCOLADES

Mandy has won a number of National and Regional Vodacom ‘Journalist of the Year’ awards, has been named ‘The CNN African Radio Journalist of the Year’ and has received several commendations in the Webber Wentzel ‘Legal Journalist of the Year’ awards.

In addition, she has received the National Press Club award in the Radio Category and the Social Media category and was awarded the ‘Rising Star – Women in the Media’ award in 2011.

On the writing front, Mandy was short-listed in the prestigious ‘Alan Paton Sunday Times Literary Awards’ for her book, ‘Killing Kebble’ which was a local publishing phenomenon, selling in excess of 100 000 copies. It was also chosen as Jenny Crwys-Williams’ ‘Book of the Year’ in 2011. Mandy’s second book, ‘My Second Initiation’, written with former head of the NPA Vusi Pikoli, was also short-listed for the Alan Paton award and was Crwys-William’s non-fiction book of the year in 2013. Ministry of Crime was long-listed for the Alan Paton.

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ON CAMERA

Mandy is the host of Great African Crimes, the HISTORY Channel Africa documentary series that became the channel’s top primetime broadcast in 2024 and returns with a second season of meticulously researched, true-crime storytelling.

Blending her award-winning investigative experience with on-camera depth, Mandy travels to the original scenes of some of the continent’s most astonishing historic crimes—cases like South Africa’s first unrecorded serial killer, Pierre Basson, and Maria Mouton, whose 18th-century trial shocked society. The series goes far beyond retelling events: each episode unpacks the cultural, historical, and psychological forces surrounding these buried stories, supported by expert interviews and extensive archival research. Mandy’s presence brings gravity, empathy, and sharp insight to these layered narratives, guiding viewers through mysteries that blend crime, history, and human drama into compelling, atmospheric storytelling.

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An evening of ideas, conversation, questions, laughter and connection. 🎙️

The Speakery Live with guest speaker Adrian Gore was nothing short of a success. The compelling conversation with Mandy Wiener had hands raised throughout the Q&A and conversations thereafter.✨

#podcast

The latest episode of The Hope Dealers introduces us to some of Jozi’s most essential yet often-overlooked workers who help keep the city clean while earning a living for their families.

@MandyWiener's search for everyday changemakers continues in episode three of her new series

The Hope Dealers - Episode 3: Urban Surfer

Urban surfers are the often invisible people pushing trolleys through Johannesburg’s roads collecting recyclable waste.

What began as a grassroots recycling initiative has grown into one of Gauteng’s most innovative community

BREAKING:

The NPA is expected to be in court on Friday where it intends to, in its ENTIRETY, unconditionally withdraw the criminal case against Crime intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo, maj-gen Nozipho Madondo, Brig Dineo Mokwele and their co-accused. This comes after the NPA

Just a few days to go! 🎙️

Join Adrian Gore and Mandy Wiener for an exclusive conversation on The Four Principles. Which principle are you most curious to hear more about?

🎟️ Tickets: https://quicket.co.za/events/383356-the-speakery-live-adrian-gore-in-conversation-with-mandy-wiener/

🗓️ Wed, 19 Aug | 18:30 for 19:00
📍 The Capital on the Park, Sandton

#SAinflation || Thinking of buying a blanket to ward off the cold? Blankets are slightly cheaper than a year ago.

Read more here: https://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=1854&PPN=P0141

#StatsSA #KnowYourStatsZA #GovZAUpdates @GovernmentZA

The Hope Dealers – Episode 2: CityKidz

This week I’m visiting the phenomenal CityKidz Pre & Primary School school and NPC in the heart of Joburg’s inner city.

"CityKidz has proven what is possible when education is done right in South Africa." - Renney Plit, Co-founder and

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Mandy Wiener
Mandy Wiener34 minutes ago
What happens when one person has a vision to restore a facility to its former glory?
The knock on effects can be enormous.

I’m telling the stories of the Hopedealers in Joburg, people who are choosing to change the narrative of the city. This is one of my faves!

Alec Galanakis is a former teacher at Jeppe Boys, passionate tennis player and member of Johannesburg Tennis Exco.

Driving to Jeppe Boys School every day from Randburg, Alec would pass the historic Ellis Park Tennis Courts. The courts stood largely abandoned and underutilised. When rumours emerged that the City might repurpose the land for housing, Alec and a group of friends decided to act.

After resigning from teaching in 2024, Alec helped establish a foundation dedicated to preserving and revitalising the Ellis Park Tennis precinct.

The programme launched in February 2025. Now dozens of kids attend lessons at the historic site. The initiative provides not only sporting opportunities but also mentorship, discipline and a safe after-school environment.

Local tennis clubs across Johannesburg have rallied behind the initiative, donating racquets, balls, clothing and equipment.

This is not just a tennis story. It is about heritage preservation, youth development, employment creation, community ownership and reclaiming neglected public spaces.

You can support and donate here: https://joburgtgf.org/

Watch the full episode here:

https://youtu.be/GU0r-9jnnwY
Mandy Wiener
The Hope Dealers: Ellis Park
In this episode of The Hope Dealers, Mandy Wiener visits the histor...
Mandy Wiener
Mandy Wiener20 hours ago
Community journalists and photographers occupy a special place in our media landscape.

They don't report on a community from a distance. They live close to the stories. They know the streets, the schools, the businesses, the police stations, the sports clubs and the people whose lives fill their pages. Their readers aren't an abstract audience — they're neighbours. And that proximity matters.

It is the community journalist who attends the council meeting that nobody else is covering. Who asks why the pothole hasn't been repaired, why the clinic isn't functioning, why the water hasn't arrived or where the municipal money has gone.

It is so important to remember that journalism isn't only about presidents, parliaments, billion-rand scandals and events that dominate the national conversation. Journalism is also about bearing witness to everyday life.

Democracy needs witnesses.

That is why community journalism isn't somehow a lesser version of "big" journalism. It is journalism at its roots.

It was a privilege to host the AVBOB Forum of Community Journalist’s Excellence Awards Ceremony to honour the work of these individuals.

So impressive to see the work being done at community publications across the country.
Mandy Wiener
Mandy Wiener2 days ago
There has been fabulous response to the first three episodes of The Hope Dealers.

It clearly shows there is an appetite for more uplifting, positive stories. This series showcases the people who are changing the narrative in the city of Joburg.

It’s been a real passion project and it has filled my cup shooting these episodes. We’re doing the last shoot today and then it’s a wrap.

Can’t wait to share the remaining episodes with you. If you’ve missed the first three you can watch them here:

Gcwalisa - https://youtu.be/aSAIqPjXLfU?si=fcuH1Uw_oZk5Yqqp

City Kidz - https://youtu.be/Azqc0NurNu4?si=RCEc1L5AK4661eDM

Urban Surfer - https://youtu.be/_OlvV8hcH_o?si=W4JySa_pbwvAjT4S
Mandy Wiener
Mandy Wiener5 days ago
New research from Lean In finds that women are less likely than men to have ever used AI at work and less likely to have made it a daily habit. They get less recognition for using AI, less manager support, and are more likely to fear it will cost them their jobs.

Men are 22% more likely to use AI daily or constantly at their jobs (33% of men vs. 27% of women). They are also 7% more likely than women to have ever used AI at work (78% of men vs. 73% of women).

This was the basis of my keynote at the Naspers Limited Women's Day event this week.

I shared how our relationship with information is changing and so is who we trust and deciding what is true.

I was particularly struck by the wisdom shared by board member Prof Rachel Jafta and the inspiring comments of Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa around leadership.

Thank you to Ashika Kirpal and your team for inviting me to spend some time with you.
Mandy Wiener
Mandy Wiener6 days ago
Over 400 people joined us last night for an incredible The Speakery event with Adrian Gore.

When Laura Goldsworthy and I decided to start doing events, we could only dream of packing out a room like this.

Adrian’s insights were illuminating, his thinking is extraordinary and he had entertaining and candid stories for days. It was really a conversation not to be missed.

Thank you to everyone who joined us.

I cannot stress enough how valuable and comforting it is to work with professionals who just know what they are doing and can pull off an event like this seamlessly.

To our sponsors who have invested in The Speakery, thank you so much for believing in us. Here is to many more!

Exclusive Books The Capital Hotels & Apartments Secure Cab MCL Von Geusau Chocolates Waterford Estate Venue Tech Chaos Theory
Mandy Wiener
Mandy Wiener7 days ago
Sho Mgerezi 🤟🏻
Mandy Wiener

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Loved your presentation, you're on top of your game and a very dedicate investigative journalist. Our country is all the better for your positive insight into the way forward for preservation of our democracy and economy.

Mandy Wiener's talk was inspiring, urging us to embrace collaboration and active citizenship. I left motivated to flip the narrative and find hope for South Africa's future.

Mandy delivered an excellent, transparent, and thought-provoking keynote at the 17th Annual Africa ACFE Conference.

Mandy delivered an insightful talk on the political landscape, inspiring us with stories of civil servants' initiatives and communities uniting in times of need. Her message highlighted the beauty and potential of a united South Africa.