Hi there. I’m Shirene and have been living in exile since 1960, believe it or not ! I’ve been meaning to return since 1989, but then one of my 2 daughters became seriously ill and I wasn’t sure we’d be able to afford for her to have, first, 5 years of dialysis and then a kidney transplant, the latter having happened in Spain - where she worked throughout her ‘illness’ - in 2017. I did, however, buy a flat in District Six and have been renting it out since 2012. I’m here, onboard the DMC to see if I can bring some justice for tenants in Cape Town, if not nationally. I’m appalled by the treatment of tenants I’ve witnessed not only by my rental agent who I’m in the process of sacking but also by the body corporate of the building. That’s my passion for now - the rights of tenants in South Africa. By the way, I’m a retired UN and freelance International Conference Translator (MA in Technical & Specialised Translation) after a Joint Honours degree in French and Spanish and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education from the London Institute of Education. Lest I bore you to tears, I shall now take my leave and ask only how I might connect with a journalist interested in finding out more about my tenant in District Six in a Unit within a building built in 2012 who has been sleeping in the living room/kitchen of his one-bedroom flat since last Christmas, when his bedroom was flooded by a mal-functioning geyser in the bedroom of the flat above belonging to an absentee landlord. I have been pleading with the rental agent and the body corporate to get into the flat above to sort out or replace the leaking geyser - to no avail. A property lawyer I contacted was not interested, to say the least and pretty hostile at worst. I’m afraid that the situation in Cape Town is rapidly resembling tourist areas in Spain, where the local people are increasingly by the day unable to afford to rent a home for their family.
Hi, I am Alan Low and I run a small, niche business providing analysis services to small and large businesses aimed at helping them to become more efficient and profitable. I help the SEAcon team on a part-time basis with their ESG Africa Conference ( this year - 15th & 16th October at the Sandton Convention Centre). My passion is sustainability and I love living in the Western Cape.
Hi there
My name’s Renée and I’m a retired university lecturer. For my sins and to keep the wolf from the door I undertake academic editing of postgraduate work as well as academic journal articles.
I’m addicted to Daily Maverick and try to keep up with what’s happening in our crazy world. I’m loving Baywatch as I’m an East Caper and it’s so good to have news relating to our neck of the woods. I love the direction DM is taking!
Hi, I am Rudd, an Architect. Recently completed our ‘forever home’ on the sea and moving into a less hectic lifestyle in the Western Cape following a long professional career in Johannesburg.
I think this is a great idea and will give it all the support necessary!
Go Daily Maverick
Hi Everyone. I’m a leadership and labour law consultant, as such, staying abreast of the news is essential. I love our country, but our politicians not so much. I believe it’s up to us as ordinary people and corporate citizens to hold ourselves, each other and our representatives to just “give a damn!” Happy to engage on leadership and labour law questions.
Hi 
I am an agriculturalist interested in sustainable and humane production. I have worked for many years in eductional publishing in the subject of Agriculture and have a lot of developed materials. I have also worked as a farmer, extension officer, Agriculture teacher, farm worker and land-use planner. It would be good to chat and share ideas. Regards Shelley Epstein
Hi! Thank you to the Daily Maverick for the DMC. It’s fantastic. 
I worked at DM for a handful of months back in 2012 when you were in those offices in Rosebank and but two handfuls of people. I was supposed to ‘lighten the website production load’ for Branko… but I don’t think I did. He was still wasn’t really sleeping. 
Met the most brilliant people, and was sad to leave when I got the opportunity of a summer school programme in Geneva, Switzerland. After that, I ended up in comms strategy, eventually for Amnesty International South Africa in Johannesburg, and then two incubated NPOs at DGMT in Cape Town.
In my almost–mid-40s and with three young children, I am about to finish a MA research thesis at Stellenbosch University. I am investigating the social media use, online risk experiences and digital literacy of adolescents in a semi-rural village (about 20kms from the nearest bigger town), and how to, ultimately, protect and enable children’s rights in the digital environment.
Very glad to be here. 
Hello all, I am Claudia Pizzocri, CEO of Eisenberg & Associates and an immigration & citizenship specialist passionate about people, language, meaning, policy, governance, and human rights. Excited to be part of this space!
Hey everyone! I’m Wesley, a Johannesburg-based accountant and small business owner. I provide individuals and small businesses with Accounting Officer Reviews, Annual Financial Statement Compilations, Monthly Accounting, and CIPC and SARS compliance. The 2025 filing season is open so if you need some help with your tax return (or if you’ve fallen a bit behind), I’m your guy!
Thanks DMC for the space you’ve created 
Hello from me, Leigh King. I’m retired, live in a beautiful country village surrounded by extraordinary people. I enjoy life and am thankful for my health. I love words and word games and I’m a DM fan. Believe that good journalism and investigative reporting need our full support. Also believe you can never be too careful about online presence so let’s see how things work out in this community.
Where I live in Margate, a construction company has been involved in our estate development, and the news from the labour force is that they cannot vote for “change/DA” because they are being told, if they do not vote for ANC they will lose their monthly grant payments. This is where political parties need to spread their message to counter this nonsense
Hello. My name is Karin Schimke. I’m a writer and poet. I work as a private book coach, writing mentor and manuscript reviewer. I used to be the books editor at the Cape Times. Reading really is just about all I do, except exercise to counteract all the sitting from writing. I used to write features for Maverick Citizen, and they were some of the most memorable stories I’ve done in my career.
This is such a good initiative. Well done for pulling it together! I’m really glad to be one of the @MaverickInsiders.
I should have introduced myself before posting a political post…my name is Bernie and am retired down the KZN South Coast. My most recent interests after a career in the medical industry, are more in understanding the mind. Two books on meditation and walking in the mountains!
My name is Desirée Hoek. I currently live and teach in Việt Nam. Daily Maverick helps keep me connected to what is happening in South Africa. Congratulations to all involved in launching this platform 
Hello everyone I am Johnny Velloza. I am trained as a Mining Engineer currently trying to get a refinery project off the ground to support the just energy transition. I love staying up to date with the news and DM is my go to source of news. I am passionate about my family, rugby, cycling and fishing. I also serve as a volunteer at the NSRI which has got to be the most amazing organisation of its kind.
Hi everyone, I am Rob Beighton from CT. I’m a Partner at PwC specialising in M&A strategy (organic and inorganic growth, commercial due diligence, growth strategy, etc.). I’m a serial hobbyist with all sort of different interests but my biggest passion is stamp collecting! Always happy to engage on this topic.
I’m really looking forward to some interesting intellectual engagement on this new DMC platform.
Well done DM team for yet another great initiative!!!
Hi, I’m Craig Adams, an Independent Financial Advisor, based in Johannesburg. I have been in the industry for 32 years and I specialise in investment and retirement planning. My brokerage also offers the full range of products and services (death, disability, income protection etc).
I am a passionate photographer and often submit photos to the Daily Maverick’s ‘Picture of the Day’.
Hi all. I’m Ellen Crabtree. I’m a bit of a [that rude Afrikaans word I’m told I shouldn’t use], with one foot in the UK and one in SA! I’m came to SA from Edinburgh in 2008 to work in Hillbrow for two years. All these years later I’m still here but now in Cape Town. I head back to Scotland every (northern) summer to see my two grown children. I am a former marketing and communications manager and am now a freelance writer and editor - mostly integrated reports, web content and other business comms, and I edit the occasional PhD thesis for friends. I practise and teach Iyengar yoga and am a keen cyclist. Chapman’s Peak is my local ride. I have become politicised a bit late in life due to certain global…ahem…events. I never miss an episode of The Rest is Politics podcast to keep up with what’s going on in the UK and world, but I rely on the DM for insights into South African politics. Keep up the good work DM!
Hi I am Richard Bosman, charcutier and baconator. When I grow up I want to be in a band. Thanks for providing me with a reliable news source in these crazy times.
Paul Perton, unwillingly living back in the UK after almost fifty years in SA. If you can believe it, it’s worse here than when I left. Missing the life in South Africa; great weather, the bush, braais, socialising and our real national sport; complaining about government corruption.