Zinathi is a News Anchor at BusinessDay TV, where she hosts the flagship financial market shows, The Close and Stock Watch. She previously worked as an Anchor and Producer at CNBC Africa, with her Broadcast career having dstarted on radio over 5 years ago.
Before she embarked on her media journey, she was in the banking industry, working for one of the big banks and a niche business bank. This followed her graduation from Rhodes University with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Economics and Management.
As an Anchor, she’s interviewed CEOs of some of the biggest companies on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. She also takes on the role Master of Ceremonies and Panel Moderator
for private companies and government entities, including facilitating board strategy sessions.
1. What’s your strategy for building strong professional relationships and collaborations?
Building professional relationships is no different to building friendships. I’m always myself: I joke, I talk to people about the work, but I also talk to them about their social interests and mine. I don’t try to make professional relationships too rigid and serious. And I live by Dale Carnegie’s quote, “To be interesting, be interested.”
2. If your morning routine was a movie genre, what kind of movie would it be?
Answer: It would be like a Memoir of Self Discovery – like Eat, Pray Love. My mornings consist of prayer, reading the Bible and running. I don’t rush in the mornings.
3. What’s your approach to maintaining a professional online presence and personal brand?
I tell people about my work, so that they know what I can do. Not everyone watches my show on TV, so uploading my work online and telling people my take outs from the conversations I’ve had, also emphasises my understanding of the conversations.
4. Share your “Note to Self” that you read every morning for inspiration.
My lock screen, is the scripture Matthew 6:33 – that says; seek God and His righteousness first, and everything else will be added to you.
So that sets the tone of greatness, because God goes ahead of me.
And then I say I AM… and fill that sentence with what I want to achieve on the day.
5. What advice would you give to young women entering the workforce or starting their careers?
Your network is very important. Build it and use it. Tell people want you want to do and achieve in your career; so that when they come across opportunities, that maybe are not suited for them – then they know who to direct those to. I know they say move in silence, but you need to contenxualise that properly in your life. I wouldn’t be where I am, if I moved in silence.
