Johannesburg - South Africa might be a resilient nation, but there is no doubt that the country is currently facing some of its most monumental challenges in modern history.
From excessive load shedding, distressingly high crime rates, widespread corruption and high rates of unemployment, South Africans are continuously confronted with bad news.
But a new news team is determined to shift the narrative and invoke some positivity into the lives of the nation’s viewers.
Feel SA, founded by journalist heavyweights Tanya Nefdt and Shahan Ramkissoon, want to shine the spotlight on inspiring South African stories and the positive impact its citizens are making.
“Our goal is to help and inspire people, and like the rest of South Africa and the world, we have all experienced tremendous loss, and our country is hurting,” Nefdt told The Saturday Star this week. “We aim to help heal, one hopeful story at a time.”
Feel SA was officially launched about three months ago, and in partnership with eMedia platforms, their ‘good news’ content will be available on eTV, eNCA, eVOD, and Openview.
Nefdt, who is no stranger to this genre of positive news, has been a journalist for almost 20 years. And together with Ramkissoon, the duo are leading the charge with a team of upbeat reporters to bring the nation more feel-good and encouraging stories that will now live on all eTV platforms as well as on Feel SA.
Her career path led her from being a weather anchor to anchoring Prime Time news. She ultimately became renowned as one of South Africa's leading human interest journalists, where she delivered and analysed numerous news reports, including major World Cup events in 2010. A few notable people Tanya has interviewed include Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson.
Meanwhile, in 2014, Nefdt was the only journalist from eNCA selected to cover the build-up to and festivities of the Brazil World Cup 2014 under the brief “Brazil Uncovered.”
The veteran journalist is now ready for her new role at Feel SA and is thrilled to take up the challenge.
“I’ve been in the news space for almost two decades, sharing the most beautiful stories of our people doing incredible things.
“So, it was a natural progression for me to follow a dream of one day building a media outlet with the right partners, such as Shahan Ramkissoon, Steve Powell, and Jacki McEwen-Powell, that focuses purely on this type of storytelling that’ll hopefully make an impact,” she explained.
But, she has admitted that being a business co-founder is both “both scary and exciting.”
“You put in every bit of blood, sweat, and tears to ensure a successful business. As a team, we want to really give our people a platform to shine and share their stories, and hopefully, through that, we can infect others with goodness and positivity.”
Nefdt also loves being South African and is adamant that the nation has many more stories than the usual doom and gloom.
“I just love our people, our diversity and our rich heritage. There is a reason why they call us the rainbow nation. We’re a colourful bunch. But one of the biggest things that I love about our country is that we are a nation that truly comes together when it matters most.
“Last year’s floods in KwaZulu-Natal were a true example of our care for one another and how we unite in the worst of times.”
And while Feel SA is still in its infancy, Nefdt is already proud of what she and her team have already accomplished.
“We’ve been so fortunate to share some amazing stories so far, from an international runway model turning model citizen by running a gruelling 207 kilometres to raise money for animal welfare to an incredible youth choir in Khayelitsha that is creating the most vibrant music in a makeshift church.
“Despite the lack of resources, they’re determined to give kids a safe space to hone their talent.”
Other notable and positive stories shared by Feel SA include a Khayelitsha resident setting up a choir to get kids off the streets and out of gangs, a man taking on the mammoth task of fixing potholes in Boksburg, all on his own, as well as a Durban student creating an advanced app to help the youth of SA find jobs.
“Feel SA is telling their stories and offering a balance to all the negative news we face daily,” Nefdt said.
The news platform might be a newcomer, but Nefdt is already encouraged by the support it has since received.
“We are so humbled by the support from everyone in a space of just three months, and we have seen so much engagement with our content and growth in our following,” she said.
“We’ve recently been approached by a national broadcaster to partner in sharing the good news on all their platforms, and I think that this is a sure sign that we are hungry for good news and stories that’ll make us smile, make us feel proud to be South African, and share it with the rest of the world.”
And while the newborn business is already thriving, Nefdt has big dreams for Feel SA.
“As for the future? It’s only upward and onwards. Let's chat again in a few months, but what I can say is that I would love to see our content on international channels.”