BY SITHA MALIWA:
For years, Faith Manzini worked behind the scenes, where the cameras could not see her and the audience would never know her name. But she knew the stories. She knew what it took to turn a breaking story into a television bulletin. She understood the pressure behind a live broadcast, the relentless deadlines, the research, the phone calls, the editorial meetings and the countless decisions that had to be made before a story could reach millions of South Africans.
For more than a decade, Manzini worked in broadcasting as a news producer and bulletin writer at the SABC, where her work was firmly rooted in news and current affairs. She was part of the teams behind programmes and bulletins including AM News, Newsroom, The Agenda and SA Today on the SABC’s Channel 404, as well as Prime News on S3.
Her career later evolved into senior production roles in current affairs, where she produced programmes including Network on Channel 404 and Stories Untold, broadcast on both Channel 404 and SABC2. It was a career built on news judgement, accuracy, research, speed and an instinct for finding the heart of a story. But today, the woman who spent years helping shape the stories South Africa watched is stepping firmly into the spotlight. She is no longer only producing stories for others. She is building her own.
Last year, after years in the media industry, the mother of one from Sebokeng in the Vaal made a courageous decision: she would take everything she had learnt in broadcasting, journalism and content production and build a business of her own.
That decision gave birth to Ordained Content Co.
It was not simply the launch of another communications company. For Manzini, it represented a leap of faith – a decision to move from the security and familiarity of the newsroom into the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship.
“I had spent years working behind the scenes, helping other people and organisations tell their stories. At some point, I had to ask myself: what could I build with all the knowledge and experience I had accumulated over the years?”
“Starting Ordained Content Co. was my answer.”
The newsroom was her classroom
Manzini’s journey has been shaped by years of working in one of the most demanding environments in media. News does not wait.
A story can break at any moment. Facts have to be verified. Interviews have to be arranged. Scripts have to be written. Editors have to make decisions. Producers have to think several steps ahead. And then there is the clock.
Working as a news producer and bulletin writer gave Manzini an intimate understanding of the machinery behind the news – from identifying significant developments to shaping information into stories that audiences could understand. Her experience across major news programmes and current affairs productions strengthened that understanding even further.
“It taught me that a good story does not happen by accident. There is a lot of thinking, planning, research and strategy behind what audiences eventually see.”
That experience has now become the foundation of her business. Through Ordained Content Co., Manzini offers social media management, website content writing, SEO blog articles, Google Business Profile setup, email newsletters and content strategy consulting.
She also offers media training, helping individuals and organisations prepare to engage confidently with journalists and communicate effectively during interviews. But her vision is much bigger than managing social media pages. She wants to help people and organisations understand the power of their own stories.
“People often underestimate how powerful their story is. Whether you are a politician, a business owner, a church leader, a school, a municipality, a celebrity or a sports club, people are watching how you communicate. Your digital presence is part of your reputation.”
A storyteller for everyone
Manzini’s target market is as diverse as the media landscape itself.
She aims to work with celebrities, politicians, municipalities, churches, schools, political parties, big and small businesses and sports teams. Her philosophy is simple: every organisation, regardless of its size, deserves professional communication.
“You don’t have to be a big corporation to have a powerful story. Sometimes the smallest business has the most incredible story, but nobody knows about it because it has never been told properly.”
It is a philosophy born from years of watching stories compete for attention in one of the country’s most demanding news environments. For Manzini, communication is not simply about posting content.
It is about understanding the audience, identifying the message, finding the story and presenting it in a way that connects.
More than social media
Manzini is determined not to reduce her expertise to social media management.
Her broadcasting background has taught her that communication is strategic.
A social media post, website article, newsletter or media interview can influence how an individual or organisation is perceived.
That is why content strategy sits at the heart of her business.
“I don’t want Ordained Content Co. to simply be known as a company that manages social media. I want it to be known as a company that understands people, understands stories and understands the power of communication.”
Her approach is particularly relevant in an era where organisations are expected to communicate constantly.
Politicians must respond to developments in real time. Businesses must build their brands online. Public institutions must communicate with communities. Churches and schools must engage their audiences. Public figures must protect their reputations.
And increasingly, people are telling their own stories directly through digital platforms.
For Manzini, that creates an enormous opportunity.
From the newsroom to the boardroom
Entrepreneurship, however, has also been a personal journey.
There is no newsroom desk waiting for her every morning. No producer handing her the next assignment. No bulletin deadline determining the rhythm of her day.
Now, she is the one creating the vision.
“I think entrepreneurship teaches you very quickly that you have to believe in yourself before anyone else does.”
“There are days when you question yourself. There are days when things don’t go according to plan. But you have to remember why you started.”
And she started because she believed her experience had value. Years spent working in newsrooms and production environments had given her something that cannot easily be taught in a textbook: the ability to recognise a story, understand an audience and communicate under pressure. Now, she is turning that experience into a business.
Preparing people for the microphone
Media training is another important part of Manzini’s vision. Having spent years working on the production side of broadcasting, she understands both the pressure faced by interviewees and the demands placed on journalists.
She wants to help executives, public figures, community leaders and professionals understand how to face the media without losing control of their message.
“Being interviewed is a skill. You can know your subject extremely well and still struggle to communicate your message under pressure. My role is to help people prepare, understand the media environment and speak with confidence.”
Her experience gives her an unusual perspective. She knows what journalists need. She understands how stories are developed. She knows what makes an interview compelling – and what can cause a message to get lost. Most importantly, she understands that preparation matters.
A new chapter
There is something poetic about Manzini’s journey. For years, she helped other people tell their stories. Now, she has created a company dedicated to helping others tell theirs.
The newsroom taught her how to find the story. Broadcasting taught her how to work under pressure. Current affairs taught her how to interrogate issues. Production taught her how to turn ideas into compelling content.
Entrepreneurship has now given her the freedom to bring all those experiences together. Her ambition is clear: to build a trusted media and content company that can work with everyone from a small business owner in the Vaal to a high-profile public figure. And perhaps that is the most compelling part of Manzini’s story. She spent years behind the scenes helping create the stories South Africa watched. Now, she has stepped out from behind the curtain to create a story of her own. And this time, Faith Manzini is not producing someone else’s chapter. She is writing her own. – @NewsSA_Online
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