Cape Town - Two Independent Media journalists were awarded last night, beating out stiff competition from around the country to be judged the best in their respective categories at the annual Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards’ (VJOY) competition.

They were among the national winners of the 2024 VJOY honoured at a ceremony in Johannesburg which paid homage to the persevering efforts of the South African media.

The title of 2024 Vodacom Journalist of the Year - and R100 000 in prize money - was awarded to News24’s Kyle Cowan for The Murray Murders, which also won the Investigative category.

The judges said Cowan’s body of work about the double murder of liquidators Cloete and Thomas Murray had “skilfully pieced together information that helped to identify perpetrators and the reasons behind the murder”.

Joel Ontong of News24 won the esteemed title of the 2024 Young Journalist of the Year Award and will be able to enrol in a course of his choice, to the value of R50 000 to improve his craft and career prospects in Journalism.

Independent Media photojournalist Ayanda Ndamane snagged the award for News Photography at a glittering award ceremony, and Independent Media journalist Robin-Lee Francke was recognised in the live reporting/breaking news category.

All the winners at last night’s VJOY awards. Picture: Supplied

Earlier this year, Ndamane was named Photographer of the Year in the Western Cape region during October.

In July, the 39-year-old sharp shooter won the Standard Bank Sikuvile Award in the “news photographs” category for his “Pro-Palestine crowd clash with police” submission, which was published on the front page of the Cape Times.

Reacting to this award, he said: “I'm very happy I'm over the moon. This third time in a row, I won a Standard Bank national and then a Vodacom regional award, and now it's Vodacom national.

“As I always say, this is not for me; this is for kids on the Cape Flats who are dodging bullets every day but still go to school. This is for a rural boy who walks almost 40 km to school. This is a significant accomplishment for any young boy who aspires to achieve success in life.

“This is to say that no matter where you come from, you can still make it in life; you are honest and dedicated.”

Francke, 31, who won nationally for her coverage of the Joshlin Smith disappearance spoke to the Cape Argus after the ceremony and said that she was in disbelief that she won.

"As a woman, we are rarely recognised for our work and our sacrifices, and I feel that - especially in this industry - this is a step in the right direction.

"I cannot thank my work colleagues enough, and my family, for the support."

Last night I was awarded in the Live Reporting/Breaking News category at the national ceremony of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards. I'm so blessed. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. #VJOYA pic.twitter.com/Js6Aal9oCx
— Robin-Lee Francke (@robin_francke) November 8, 2024

Speaking of the Joshlin Smith case, for which she won the award, Francke said that it has not been an easy case to cover.

"Doing this Joshlin Smith case has not been easy. That fact that this is one of our children, this is a coloured child from a small town where poverty is rife... I come from one of those small towns. The fact that a story like this, from a little forgetting town, can be recognised on such a scale bring my heart so much joy.

"This is rarely the picture we ever get to see, and since doing this story it has always been my motivation to get Joshlin's story out there, and this recognition tells me that I am getting there (in getting her story out)."

Cape Argus