Current editor-in-chief of the Mail & Guardian Verashni Pillay has been appointed editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post in South Africa by Media24.
Media24 and the Huffington Post recently announced the launch of the US website in South Africa.
Pillay takes up the position on 1 November.
HuffPost South Africa will be the 17th edition, as the company continues to grow its global presence.
HuffPost has more than 300 editors located in nearly 20 countries outside the US, and continues to expand its global presence.
Pillay completed her honours degree in journalism at Rhodes University as a Media24 bursary holder and worked at News24 before joining the M&G in 2009.
She left M&G in 2014 to focus on digital journalism and consultancy work and was appointed editor-in-chief of the M&G in 2015.
“I am looking forward to creating meaningful journalism across a number of verticals in a pure digital format, and recruiting a strong team to do that,” said Pillay.
The 32-year-old said she was excited to be working for an international brand like the Huffington Post given the incredible opportunity it presents.
“Hard news in this country can sometimes be alienating to certain audiences. HuffPost gives us the chance to reach new audiences and tell the stories that need to be told. While it’s difficult to leave the Mail & Guardian, it’s comforting to come back to Media24, who gave me a head start in my career,” Pillay said.
Media24 also announced that Huisgenoot assistant editor Pieter du Toit has been appointed deputy editor of HuffPost South Africa.
The Huffington Post already has a large audience in South Africa with nearly three quarters of a million unique visitors per month according to comScore.
Huffpost South Africa will be launched in November.
