hi all my name is Stan Brighton I’ve been retired 20 years from the University of Pretoria where I was the head of the Department of rheumatology and physical medicine
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Hi all. My name is Pete Farlam and I’m a psychologist, Capetonian, dad, husband, news junkie, former journalist / researcher. I love reading non-fiction (and also fiction) and writing.
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Hi, my name is Ismail. I write a weekly column for the opinions section of the Daily Maverick. The biographical notes at the top of my column explain who I am, but for what its worth, I’ve been in and out of journalist and academia and global and national public policy-making since the early 1980s.
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Hi everyone, I’m André, health systems researcher and armchair sociologist in Durban - really happy about this initiative!
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Good day everyone,
I’m Steve and have been living and working in the Asia-Pacific region for 20+ years and in Beijing for the last 10 years.
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Hello, Nicole! I have yet to visit a Banksy exhibition, I hear that they are incredible. I must admit to having had mixed feelings about “attending a Banksy” in the past but I may have matured through some of my more self-righteous street artist days. I did get a very cool glimpse of an original up in Brighton 
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We see you, Margaret, and we LOVE your work p.s. long-time no hear, neighbour 
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Cheers, Ismail! You’re one of my go-to journos on the Maverick, I really enjoy your opinion work for clarity and context I had to check and recheck the spelling of your name. I know a few other Ismails but the spelling differs quite a lot. I’m curious, is there any particular reason for the variety or is it just a parental preference? Is it, for instance, the same as Ishmael, or are those two different names?
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Howzit. I liaise with several party leaders and MP’s - you’re welcome to contact me and I can ask a few other parties to engage in your community (Rise Mzansi, ActionSA, IFP etc depending on wherabouts you are)
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please write that book! the world nees it!
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Howzit from London! My name is Hayley Reichert & I’m a former Durbanite who now dabbles in the world of SA politics and civil society work. I liaise with party leaders & MP’s across a number of parties as well as numerous civic groups in SA, having undertaken 2 pre-election trips where I spent time in communities with some of our leaders. Most of my spare time is taken up with overseas consular services - trying to walk a tight rope of building a relationship with and helping Home Affairs but equally lobbying them. I am the person who initiated the loss of citizenship campaign back in 2014 that led to the DA’s court case and 11 year battle. My passion is educating, empowering and inspiring others abroad to be active citizens in helping drive change. By day I’m a UK mortgage and protection adviser and I also run a small NPO called Ihlombe Lokhalela Care GIvers (it means ‘a shoulder to cry on’) with my wonderful co-founder Beryl in Molweni (outer west Durban - one hill away from where I grew up) who we’ve now enrolled in an 18 month ECD level 4 qualification as we’ve partnered with a nearby creche that is without a principal and the owners want Beryl to take over as principal once she has a qualification. My long term goal is to return to SA to serve in politics (and hopefully bring all the other expats back with me!)
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Hello, I’m known as Rick.
I am driven by curiosity, people, and a love of solving real-world problems.
I’m passionate about understanding how things work — whether it’s a business, a community, or a bicycle drivetrain.
I enjoy taking what looks complicated and making it practical, useful, and human.
Professionally, I’ve spent more than two decades leading in sales and operations. My skill lies in connecting strategy with people
I enjoy conversations that challenge assumptions — how government spends our money, to whether we understand the difference between a million and a billion. I care about accountability, fairness, and empowering ordinary South Africans to think critically.
Outside of work, I enjoy family time, reading widely, and exploring questions about purpose and identity. I like humour, honesty, and stories that reveal the best and worst of us. I’m here because I enjoy communities where people think, engage, and try — even imperfectly — to make things better.
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Hello, my name is John, I’m a retiree. I live in beautiful Gqeberha aka Port Elizabeth and Nelson Mandela Bay.
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Hi, I am Craig. I was born and lived in SA for 49 years. A work opportunity brought me and my family to Switzerland 12 years ago. I love and miss the Republic, and visit regularly. Feel strongly that JHB needs to be improved.
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Hi all, I’m Clare, semi-retired in Cape Town, brought up my children in Cape Town so motherhood was a dream. Only 1 grandchild in Cape Town and he’s tucked up next to me on the couch right now as we just chill doing our separate keyboard stuff in happy companionship.
Another 2 grandchildren close by in Somerset West, and a 4th in Singapore so I LOVE the ease of communication IT affords us, as a family. I enjoy the balance of life - work, family life most days, gardening, reading (books,The Economist and DM), cooking amazing soups and meeting friends for a meal. TV is also great, I won’t lie, as there is good content if you search well.
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Hi everyone,
I’m Natalie Haarhoff, a proud Joburger, filmmaker, mother, and partner.
I’ve spent over two decades shooting and directing feature length documentaries across South Africa, Africa, and beyond — from Jamaica to India and Poland.
Through my lens, I’ve seen this country’s complexity and beauty up close, and I truly believe our stories are the best mirror of who we are.
Thrilled to be part of the Daily Maverick community — looking forward to connecting, sharing, and learning with you all!
— Natalie
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Hi Everyone,
I am an academic and food-systems practitioner working at the intersection of governance, business and public interest. I also lecture at Wits Business School, chair the HR & Nominations Committee of the Consumer Goods & Services Ombud, and have spent 25+ years across FMCG, diplomacy and strategy roles in Africa and Europe. I co-founded the Food Safety Leadership Initiative (FSLI) which is located within Wits Business School. I am keen to connect with journalists exploring food safety, food safety leadership, consumer protection, regulation, and the unseen systems behind everyday food risks. My first topic of interest is to trigger an expose on the sale of illegal rodent pesticides/organo phosphates (aka Terbufos). Key questions are: How are these banned substances entering SA?; All tiers of society seem to know about a “stronger” Rattex available in informal markets-how do we conscientise consumers that this substance is illegal and that a few particles can kill within 20 seconds; How can we convert this expose into a use case whereby we leverage DM connect and get the authorities to focus on a specific societal threat, and keep reporting on it until the problem is solved? Thanks Ravi Pillay (ravi.pillay@wits.ac.za
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Hi everyone, happy December!
My name is Zani, I’m a writer by day, Philosopher by night, working remotely from the beautiful province of Mpumalanga.
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Hi, I’m Aneesa Adams, the new Community Manager with Daily Maverick’s Johannesburg Bureau. I’m here to help connect our readers and members with the city’s stories and spirit. I’ve already uncovered some pretty wild things — like a human trafficking ring in the southern suburbs of Joburg, my first Daily Maverick article for 2026! I can’t wait to bring the Maverick community closer to the real pulse of Joburg.
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Hi There, My name is Margaret and I am an almost 81yr old pensioner currently living in Fish Hoek. I am fortunate enough to have a caring daughter who takes care me as I couldn’t survive on my state pension without her support. Cape Town is not a cheap place to live - I don’t care what our Mayor says, the COCT gives housing preference to rich overseas buyers without a thought of SA born residents who, often, don’t even earn a living wage. How much would anyone think a person must earn just to be able to pay for a roof over their heads, pay for medical attention (medical aid) petrol to get to work and back and put food on the table. Oh and don’t forget the electricity either! Our rent has increased by about 30%+ in the last two years. Salary has increased by 0% in the same time.
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