Best News & Entertainment '24

Maryn Blignaut

Education: BA in Communication Science, University of South Africa (2012–2016), AFP Digital Investigation Techniques (GNI, 2023), Google News Initiative training (2024), Thomson Reuters Foundation AI Adoption Training and WAN-IFRA Women in News Programme (2025)

Experience: Briefly News (2017-present)

Awards: - Best Appealing Storytelling: Highest Average Pageviews, 2023 by Briefly News - Awarded the 2023 Gender Mainstreaming Award (Empowerment of Women in the Community) as part of the Briefly News team

Maryn Blignaut is the Editor-in-Chief at Briefly News, with nine years of experience in digital journalism. She holds a BA in Communication Science from the University of South Africa (2016) and specialises in digital storytelling and feature writing. She has completed advanced professional training in media and innovation, including the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course, multiple Google News Initiative programmes, Thomson Reuters AI Adoption Training, and the WAN-IFRA Women in News leadership programme. For enquiries, contact maryn.blignaut@briefly.co.za

1172 articles published since 30 Oct 2017

Author's articles

Pam the Paddock Princess: SA content creator steers more women into F1

Pam the Paddock Princess: SA content creator steers more women into F1

Women Empowerment

4 days ago

Meet Emma-Rose Dowling, the 15-year-old South African racer making history in the F1 Academy

Meet Emma-Rose Dowling, the 15-year-old South African racer making history in the F1 Academy

Women Empowerment

4 days ago

Hippo's new advert proves Dricus du Plessis can land punchlines as well as punches

Hippo's new advert proves Dricus du Plessis can land punchlines as well as punches

People

16 days ago

Dubai Summer Surprises 2026 returns with 60 days of deals, concerts and family fun

Dubai Summer Surprises 2026 returns with 60 days of deals, concerts and family fun

World

a month ago

Young people missing out on land reform benefits despite restitution progress, expert warns

Young people missing out on land reform benefits despite restitution progress, expert warns

Politics

a month ago

Mrs Supranational South Africa 2026 crowns new queens at glamorous grand finale

Mrs Supranational South Africa 2026 crowns new queens at glamorous grand finale

Women Empowerment

a month ago

Grade 7 Northcliff girl selected for SA U14 indoor netball squad, eyes 2027 World Cup

Grade 7 Northcliff girl selected for SA U14 indoor netball squad, eyes 2027 World Cup

Sports

a month ago

Ziya Visser, a Grade 7 student from Reddford House Northcliff, is selected for the SA U14 Indoor Netball Squad, aiming for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

Eastern Cape entrepreneur turns ancient bone broth tradition into rural jobs for women

Eastern Cape entrepreneur turns ancient bone broth tradition into rural jobs for women

Women Empowerment

a month ago

Phumeza Stuurman, a 46-year-old entrepreneur, transforms discarded animal bones into nutrient-rich bone broth, empowering rural women and youth in East London.

Takealot More vs Amazon Prime: Comparing South Africa's online shopping subscriptions

Takealot More vs Amazon Prime: Comparing South Africa's online shopping subscriptions

Business and Economy

a month ago

Amazon Prime's launch in South Africa introduces exclusive Prime Day deals, streaming, and gaming; how does it stack up against TakealotMORE's local perks?

Nicky Oppenheimer ranked as Africa's 4th richest person with an estimated net worth of R174.7 billion in 2026

Nicky Oppenheimer ranked as Africa's 4th richest person with an estimated net worth of R174.7 billion in 2026

Money

a month ago

South African billionaire Nicky Oppenheimer ranks fourth in Africa's 2026 Forbes list, with a net worth of $10.6 billion and a legacy of philanthropy.

Weather Forecast: Another upper air system brings cold vibes to parts of SA

Weather Forecast: Another upper air system brings cold vibes to parts of SA

South Africa

a month ago

South Africa braces for cool to cold temperatures this week, with Gauteng and the North West facing isolated showers as a weather system sweeps across the region.

23-year-old South African developer builds Crime Alert app to improve crime awareness

Exclusive

23-year-old South African developer builds Crime Alert app to improve crime awareness

Cars and Tech

a month ago

Meet Sphephelo Mabena, a young developer who's tackled crime with his app Crime Alert, empowering South Africans to track incidents and enhance community safety.

2026 FIFA World Cup: AI picks France to lift trophy as South Africa misses knockouts

2026 FIFA World Cup: AI picks France to lift trophy as South Africa misses knockouts

Football

a month ago

AI forecasts the 2026 FIFA World Cup, pinpointing France as the favourite, while Bafana Bafana faces a tough battle against Mexico on opening day.

Top 20 youngest millionaires in South Africa 2026 (net worths revealed)

Top 20 youngest millionaires in South Africa 2026 (net worths revealed)

Top Lists

4 months ago

Who are the youngest millionaires in South Africa in 2026? Check out this list of of the young wealthy people in the country, their ages, and sources of wealth.

Who is the richest artist in South Africa? Top 20 list and their net worth

Who is the richest artist in South Africa? Top 20 list and their net worth

Top Lists

4 months ago

The richest artist in South Africa in 2023 is Black Coffee, who has an estimated worth of $60 million. Several artists have joined the multi-million-dollar club

Maryn Blignaut