New chapter for Mid South Coast Mail’s Juan
Credit for identifying this raw talent must go to recently retired South Coast Herald manager Bevis Fairbrother, who oversaw the Mail when Juan started his career.
MID South Coast Mail’s Juan Venter (26) has decided the time has come to spread his wings and explore new opportunities.
This is his last week at the paper and while we’re sad to see him go, we’re happy for him to use the knowledge and experience he has gained here and to apply it elsewhere.
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Fortunately, he will not be going too far away, and will still be in the Caxton stable, when he takes up an exciting new position at the North Coast Courier in Ballito.
In some ways Juan has been one of Caxton’s unexpected ‘finds’.
Who would have thought that the youngster who came in a few years ago as a sales executive would turn out to be such a promising journalist, one with a natural nose for news, the kind that can’t necessarily be taught or trained, only guided.
Credit for identifying this raw talent must go to recently retired South Coast Herald manager Bevis Fairbrother, who oversaw the Mail when Juan started his career.
It is not only his ability to find interesting and sometimes controversial stories, but also his knack for being in the right (sometimes dangerous) place at the right time.
Juan hasn’t been afraid of hard work, often arriving early and staying late, a work ethic he has inherited from his parents, Koos and Adri.
Website editor Shenda Krisch described him as dogged and fearless and with an attitude that no story is too small to follow up to the last full stop.
His photography, especially on the hard news side of things, has been impressive for someone with so little experience.
One of his photos, of a standoff between police and rioters in Amandawe over service delivery issues in June 2018, was a finalist at the annual Caxton Awards.
Juan has also taken to digital reporting and social media like the proverbial duck to water.
He has played a big part in seeing the South Coast Herald website, which includes stories from the Mail, have the success that it has of late.
In between all this, he has sold ads, worked on features and been a general ‘gopher’ when the occasion required.
Juan has been able to travel a little, having recently visited friends in New York.
When I asked where he was moving on to, he said ‘New York Times’ with such conviction I was given to pause long enough for him to start laughing.
He is wished all the best as he embarks on his new adventure.
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