Krivani Pillay

Krivani Pillay
Krivani Pillay

Words by Boitumelo Nte

Krivani Pillay graduated from Rhodes in 2001 and is known for her high-profile journalism at the SABC (Lotus and SAFM), Primedia (Eyewitness News), and eNCA. Pillay also holds a Masters in Journalism from Rhodes and was the winner of the Emerging Old Rhodian Award in 2017.

Pillay worked as Executive Producer for Current Affairs at SABC News during Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s tenure as Group COO, when she and seven of her colleagues (the SABC 8), challenged the autocratic editorial policies imposed on news broadcasts at the station. The SABC 8 paved the way to Parliament’s first ever inquiry into the SABC which led to the suspension of Motsoeneng and the dissolution of the SABC board. In November 2018, Pillay was seconded to the role of Elections Editor, co-ordinating content for Radio, Television and Digital platforms.

She also conceptualised and produced Democracy Gauge, a production that seeks to commemorate 25 years of democracy from a citizen’s point of view. This form of storytelling focuses primarily on the citizen’s lived experience and removes the voice of the journalist, politician, and analyst.

She says that it was during her JMS studies that she developed a love for broadcast journalism. “I thoroughly enjoyed the radio and TV courses on offer. It was on the basis of my storytelling technique and skill to edit these pieces together that I caught the eye of the SABC in KwaZulu-Natal. I'm very grateful to the JMS department at Rhodes for cultivating and fuelling this passion.”

She hopes that the School rises to the challenges of the “4th Industrial Revolution” and “remains the competitive and respected institution that it is.”