On 28 October, eNews Channel Africa (eNCA) announced that its Group News editor
Ben Said will be leaving the channel.
Said has been offered and accepted a senior position with TRT World, a new
English-language global news channel based in Istanbul, Turkey. This comes after
several eNCA staff have been recruited by international news organisations
including CNN, Al Jazeera and CCTV among others in recent years.
Ben Said joined e.tv as a producer in 2000 and soon rose to the ranks of senior
reporter and eventually Group News editor. “He has been an inspirational leader
committed to mentoring the next wave of management and dedicated to
transformation within the company. Never shy to share more than two decades of
news experience with his colleagues, Ben Said leaves a huge gap in our
organisation’ says managing director Patrick Conroy.
“We are comparable with the best in the world hence the constant poaching
of talent from eNCA. It is something that both concerns us but is also a
compliment,’ says Mapi Mhlangu, eNCA’s news director.
eNCA is the most watched news channel on DStv and its online division recently
surpassed one million unique browsers in South Africa.
“It has been an absolute privilege to grow alongside eNews and eNCA for the past
15 years. While I am incredibly sad to be leaving, this feels like the right time to be
making a move like this,’ says Said.
“In December, I will leave behind an experienced management team and the
hardest-working, most dedicated journalists, camera-operators and technical staff
in South Africa,’ he adds. “As our democracy faces challenges, independent media
like eNCA remains committed to holding up a mirror to our changing society. There
will be exciting times ahead for a channel I will miss greatly.’
