News24 wins big at Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards
Kyle Cowan was named Journalist of the Year for his outstanding investigative work on the Murray murders, and also won in the Investigative Journalism category.
Multiple category winners and Hard News commendations showcased News24's diverse journalistic excellence.
Ten News24 journalists reached finalist status, demonstrating the publication's commitment to quality journalism and going the extra mile to tell South African stories.
News24 was the biggest winner in the Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards in Johannesburg on Saturday evening.
Ten News24 journalists were announced as finalists in the 2025 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards, which are hosted in partnership with the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) annually.
News24 investigative journalist Kyle Cowan was announced as the journalist of the year for his outstanding investigative work on the double murder of liquidators, Cloete and Thomas Murray.
Cowan was also announced as the winner in the Investigative Journalism category.
The Murrays were killed when a gunman opened fire on their car at the New Road off-ramp in Midrand, Johannesburg on a Saturday afternoon in March 2023. They had spent the morning with siblings Rushil and Nishani Singh and an auctioneer, preparing for the Singh properties to be auctioned on behalf of their client, Investec, which was trying to recoup its money. The Singhs had multiple Investec loans and bonds for properties worth more than R550 million.
READ | Unravelling the assassination of Cloete and Thomas Murray
It was revealed through an investigation that they secured the loans fraudulently.
According to the judges, Cowan 'showed remarkable ability and tenacity in uncovering the story'.
Lisalee Solomons and Nicole McCain received a commendation in the Hard News category for their exclusive story on George building collapse survivor Delvin Safers: 'Please help us get out': Trapped survivor speaks from beneath rubble of collapsed George building.
Safers spoke exclusively to News24, minutes before his cellphone battery died, while he was trapped beneath the rubble of the collapsed five-storey building.
The 29-year-old had worked at the construction site as an electrician, along with his father, on the day of the collapse.
Luke Daniel and Marvin Charles were announced as winners in the Features – Broadcast category for the feature No Place to Call Home – a documentary which tells the stories of Cape Town residents who are grappling with a housing crisis that is pushing them to the brink of eviction, growing informal settlements and homelessness.
WATCH | No Place to Call Home: Cape Town's housing crisis
Daniel also received a special commendation in the Feature Photographs category for his body of work on the News24 On the Road 2025 Elections Tour – a countrywide election tour across South Africa in one car, capturing the mood of everyday South Africans about the 2025 national elections.
Alex Patrick, Jeff Wicks and Sharlene Rood were announced as winners in the Visual Journalism category for their visual investigation Final Footsteps – The Kirsten Kluyts Murder. Kluyts was attacked and murdered while taking part in an organised running event in Sandton on the morning of 29 October 2023.
News24's visual investigation used state-of-the-art 3D modelling to retrace Kluyts' final footsteps, drawing from cellphone triangulation data, CCTV footage, court filings as well as a tracking tag she had worn on her wrist that day.
SEE | Final Footsteps – The Kirsten Kluyts Murder
Garth Theunissen was announced as a winner in the Columns category for his opinion pieces, which covered a range of topics, including economic policy, the SA Reserve Bank and the EFF and MK Party's manifestos.
William Brederode was announced as a runner-up in the Juby Mayet Rising Star of the Year category.
News24 editor-in-chief Adriaan Basson said the awards were a testament to the commitment of News24's journalists to go the extra mile in telling the stories of South Africa.
'Kyle's investigation has exposed more about the Murray murders than the official police probe. It is a crying shame that journalists now have to do the work of law enforcement agencies, but we are eternally grateful to our loyal subscribers and the Media24 management for investing in our capacity to uncover the facts.'
Basson said he was particularly proud of News24's broadcast award, where the publication competed against established television shows.
Convener of judges Lizeka Mda said: 'We continue to be grateful to Standard Bank for their unstinting support and commitment to quality journalism. Sanef also deserves hearty thanks for organising the awards and tonight's ceremony.'
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