Based: Johannesburg
Devi Sankaree Govender is a South African media icon. Her reputation as an award-winning investigative television journalist, has been cemented by 30 years of bold, brave and fearless reporting, holding governments, companies and individuals to account.
Armed with an MBA, Devi has built a brand of trust, authenticity and justice. She currently sits on two boards and, after 18 years at Carte Blanche, South Africa’s longest running investigative television show, Devi joined eMedia (eTV and eNCA) in 2020, the most watched television group in South Africa, launching The Devi Show in the middle of a global pandemic. The show has garnered a viewership of millions and won a South African Film and Television Award for Best Factual Programme in 2021.
Devi is a mum to a Junior Olympic golfer who received a golf scholarship from the University of North Carolina and in 2024 graduated with a BSc in Business. Her plan is to turn pro. Devi’s son is in his second year of an LLB and he recently represented the University of Pretoria at the International Criminal Court Moot Court competition at The Hague. Devi’s two SPCA gangsters rule her home.
Devi has two current keynotes but is also able to tailor according to client requirements.
• “Still Catching Crooks (in heels) … in a pandemic!”
In this entertaining, yet moving keynote, Devi tells the story of how a young girl, growing up in rural KZN during the turbulent 80’s, made the unusual decision to become a journalist. Devi chats candidly about her tough, but often hilarious path which took her to Carte Blanche, where she became known across the country for her bold brand of journalism.Fast-forward to 2020 – Devi resigns from Carte Blanche and takes on a new television adventure … in the midst of a global pandemic! This keynote gives insight into why agility and resilience can take you places … and gain you millions of viewers in just six months!
5 minute video/45 minute talk/10 minute Q and A
• “The Day I Chose Me!”
Ten years ago Devi received news that she was pre-hypertensive. Hardly surprising when this award-winning investigative television journalist also doubled up as a wife and mother to two children (one a Junior Golf Olympian and the other, an international debater). The news set in motion a series of events …. false starts and stops……an unexpected meeting with Huffington Post founder, Ariana Huffington and it all culminated in a blog which went viral – much to Devi’s surprise. In this hilarious, yet touching talk, Devi talks about her constant fight with finding “balance” and how she has learnt to finally put herself on top of her list.
This one-hour talk, which includes a 15-minute Q and A, is suitable for a mixed-gender audience and includes tips on how to stay sane, brilliant and dazzling, in a world which doesn’t stop to breathe.
5 minute video/45 minute talk/10 minute Q and A
ENDS.
