“The City of gold not only called me to fulfil my true purpose of storytelling. It also called me to reach new heights in my karate training,” says Brümilda Swartbooi, who joined the City 11 months ago as a Publications Officer. She’s already made a name for herself in the City of Johannesburg as well as in her all-time favourite hobby, karate.
She is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to work and play. Anything she puts her mind to, she achieves.
Although she was born and raised in the gorgeous green George in the Western Cape, Swartbooi always knew the world was her stage. She matriculated from Hoërskool Outeniqua and furthered her studies at the University of the Free State, where she obtained her Bachelor’s in Communication Science.
“I knew from an incredibly young age that writing would be a dream I would chase until the end of time. During my studies I always looked for ways I could enhance my journalistic skills so that I would be prepared once the perfect job came along,” she says.
During holidays she worked at two local radio stations KosieFM on the campus in the Free State and EdenFM in her hometown. Once she graduated, Swartbooi hit the ground running. Her career as a journalist started at the George Harold in 2017. She also had a stint at the Worcester Standard in 2018, which was part of Media24.
During her time at Media24, Swartbooi became an award-winning journalist after walking away with the prominent Standard Bank Sikuvile Award. “At first when I was nominated, I couldn’t believe it. When I was awarded the actual Sikuvile Award, it took a while to sink in and tell myself that hard work and determination always wins.” One of the stories that won her the award was about a farm where workers needed help and were uncertain about their futures.
Another news article she received honours for was about a shooting at Shoprite, where she took the readers on a journey of a shopper who met her untimely death seconds after her husband dropped her at the store. “I enjoy human interest stories and writing stories that put a smile on a readers’ face. The best feeling in the world is when you’ve captured the emotions on paper and brought them to life,” she says.
In 2019, Swartbooi made the move to the big city when she joined Netwerk24, one of the biggest Afrikaans digital platforms, in South Africa. She joined the City of Johannesburg in October 2021 and has covered everything from service delivery to stories on the Executive Mayor, Cllr Mpho Phalatse.
“It was a bit of an adjustment coming from a fast-paced news environment to a municipality, but the shift has been fun and interesting. I look forward to what the city has to offer next,” she notes. Swartbooi has always been big on keeping fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which explains her passion for martial arts.
“I was first introduced to karate when I was nine years old. My brother and I use to participate for fun while growing up. I joined a karate class in the Free State but didn’t attend as religiously because of studies and my home karate studio was just the best fit for me at the time,” she says. When she moved to Johannesburg, Swartbooi joined the Roodepoort Karate Club in September 2019. “Sadly when I joined the new club I had to start over. I had gone right back to being a white belt in karate,” she says.
However, much like her drive in her career, she made the same efforts in her karate. Swartbooi has worked her way up the karate ranks and is now on brown belt. What stands between her and the coveted black belt is one more brown. Earlier this year, she participated in the South African Gauteng tournament and was selected to attend the karate national tournament.
“At nationals, I accomplished so much and surprised myself when I obtained silver and gold medals. Karate is a part of me. It keeps me sane, focused and helps me stay determined,” she explains. Her ultimate goal is to reach her black belt and make a success of her journey in the City given her new role in the internal newsletter Mahungu-Ya-Vatirhi.
“I’m excited about my new role in Mahungu-Ya-Vatirhi and hope that I can make our unit proud. I have no doubt that with the support of the team and my passion for writing, I can continue taking this new opportunity to the next level.”
Written by Sascha-Lee Joseph
23/09/2022