Annika Larsen is one of South Africa’s most respected journalists, with approximately 25 years of experience spanning news anchoring, political and parliamentary reporting, investigative journalism and long-form documentary filmmaking.
As Editor-at-Large at e.tv and eNCA, South Africa’s leading independent television news platforms, Annika has built a reputation for incisive journalism, intelligent analysis and an ability to navigate complex and often highly sensitive conversations. Throughout her career, she has interviewed presidents, political leaders and prominent figures across business, sport and entertainment.
Her documentary work includes Gangland and an exclusive investigation into the identity and story of Chris Hani’s apartheid-era assassin. Her work has been recognised with a South African Television Award, affirming her standing as an accomplished investigative journalist and storyteller.
Annika brings a strong international perspective to her work. She is an alumna of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Programme and has participated in fellowships at Duke University. Her reporting career has taken her from the corridors of the South African Parliament to the White House, covering some of the most consequential political and social stories affecting South Africa.
Most recently, Annika has been at the forefront of major national stories, including the formation and negotiations surrounding South Africa’s Government of National Unity, South Africa–US relations and her widely discussed interview with former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter.
As a speaker and moderator, Annika draws on decades spent questioning decision-makers, analysing political change and witnessing leadership under pressure. She offers audiences an informed, compelling and highly relevant perspective on leadership, geopolitics, media, accountability and the rapidly changing South African political landscape.
SPEAKING TOPICS
• Holding Power to Account — Lessons from three decades of frontline journalism
• Geopolitics, Crime & Politics — Reading South Africa’s shifting landscape
• Documentary Storytelling — Using journalism as a tool for accountability and change
• Leadership Under Scrutiny — What powerful interviews reveal about crisis, character and decision-making
• The Future of Independent News — Journalism, trust and the evolving media landscape in South Africa and beyond
NOTABLE HIGHLIGHTS
• Gangland — investigative documentary
• Exclusive documentary investigation into Chris Hani’s apartheid-era assassin
• South African Television Award winner
• Groundbreaking interview with former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter
• Extensive coverage of South Africa’s Government of National Unity negotiations
• Reporting from the White House on South Africa–US relations
• Alumna of the US State Department International Visitor Leadership Programme
• Duke University fellowship experience
