Southern Africa Correspondent
We are looking for a southern Africa correspondent based in Johannesburg. This is one of the most exciting and challenging jobs in the foreign network. It comes at a riveting time in the history of South Africa, once a beacon of hope for the world and increasingly a cautionary tale of a transition gone wrong.
The successful candidate must above all possess range. They should be able to produce hard-hitting news coverage and scoops for Companies and World, but also long reported pieces for the Big Read and the Magazine. They must be as comfortable in a corporate boardroom or central bank governor’s office as in a township or down a mine shaft.
The political story of the slow implosion of the African National Congress is compelling. But the correspondent needs to show equal interest in business stories: from the mining conglomerates to complex corporate vehicles, such as Naspers, and scandal-wracked ones such as Steinhoff. As became clear during years of state capture under Jacob Zuma and in the ongoing collapse of Eskom and Transnet, the corporate and the political stories are often intertwined and the FT must be unrivalled in revealing this complex interplay.
Based in Johannesburg, the job also entails coverage of southern Africa, including Mozambique, with its multibillion dollar gas project led by Exxon and Total, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The correspondent must be alive to news and able to cast light on big and varied themes including debt, urbanisation, development, health, technology, energy transition, deforestation and the role of countries such as China, Russia, India and Turkey.
Though this is a regional job, there will be a strong emphasis on providing the world’s best coverage of South Africa. Elections are scheduled for May so the correspondent should be ready to hit the ground running.
South Africa is an ideologically charged environment with a brutal history of colonialism and apartheid, one that has left a damaged society for which there are no easy answers. The correspondent must be steeped in the country’s history, able to engage with it intellectually and to write about it both analytically and dispassionately.
Please submit your application by the end of the day, Thursday October 19 2023.
Benefits
Our benefits vary depending on location, but we are committed to providing best in class perks across all our offices as well as an inclusive environment to develop your career. Examples of our benefits include; generous annual leave allowances, flexible working (including working from home), medical cover, enhanced maternity & paternity packages, subsidised gym memberships and Giving Back opportunities. Full details of our benefits can be found here.
How we work
Our hybrid setup means staff are expected to come into the office 3 days a week.
Our office is located across the street from St. Paul's Cathedral and is easily accessible from all corners of London. There are the main train terminals such as Liverpool Street, Moorgate, Blackfriars, City Thameslink or Waterloo all situated within walking distance or there are several tube stations within a few mins walk such as Mansion House (District or Circle line), St. Paul's (Central line), Bank (Central or Waterloo & City line) or Barbican (Central, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan lines).
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace
The FT is committed to providing an inclusive working environment for all. We are an equal opportunities employer who seeks to recruit and appoint the best talent regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We believe that a supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves at work and have the flexibility they need to meet their personal needs.
Please let us know if you require any adjustments as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements, or have any questions, please contact a member of our HR team who will be happy to help.
About the Financial Times
The FT has an uncompromising mission: delivering independent, quality information, news and services to individuals and companies around the globe. It’s the cornerstone of our reputation and the heart of our ambitions for the future. But for our people, the FT offers so much more than what we do. FT people come from all kinds of backgrounds and work across a huge range of disciplines and locations, and find an empowering, warm and welcoming culture that values curiosity and rewards smart, ambitious thinking. Those who are willing to unite around our mission and live our values will find plenty to challenge, inspire and interest them. Like the audiences we serve, no two FT people are the same; but together we help our audience be better informed and understand the world around them. It’s a job that’s never mattered more, and a career that can take you anywhere you want to go.