Asanda Sizani Launches Black Editors, a Platform Devoted to Black Excellence in Media
Asanda Sizani is arguably one of the most influential people in South African media, and she would know more than anyone the true intricacies of what it means to be a black editor in the country. She highlights that launching her new platform Black Editors was as much a personal process as it was one that aims to serve other people.
“The contribution made by black women to the magazine industry as we know it today cannot be overlooked, and I have made it my mission to shine a light on these women-if we are blessed enough to still have them around.”
With a resume that includes having been the Fashion Director at Elle to the Editor in Chief of Glamour, Asanda knows a thing or two about the world of magazines. It is a combination of her knowledge and her desire to pass the torch that has led her to create Black Editors, a necessary look at those who came before her, and what we can learn from them as we try to make sense of what is now a pretty uncertain environment.
Black Editors started as an interview series on Instagram and has quickly grown to an archive of black editors and change-makers in the African media industry. “There are all these people I could have looked to when I started my journey, and I had no idea that they existed because of their erasure in the history books.”
Asanda continues to explain that her goal is to acknowledge and amplify the voices of the women in particular who played an instrumental role in the South African media industry “The contribution made by black women to the magazine industry as we know it today cannot be overlooked, and I have made it my mission to shine a light on these women-if we are blessed enough to still have them around.”
We chat more about her desire to see change, her hopes for the expansion of Black Editors and why tenacity is the most revered quality of all in the full interview (lightly edited for the purpose of clarity and context) below.
Jade: I’d really like to hear your perspective on the current state of the media landscape in South Africa
Asanda: The way things currently stand in South Africa, the situation is dire. Publications are closing shop every other day. It’s scary, but it’s just as exciting to know that a lot of changes will be taking place.
Jade: To what extent do you think the global pandemic is responsible for these closures?
Asanda: I think it’s definitely worsened the situation, but the problems were there long before Covid19. The cracks were showing for a really long time, and this pandemic was just the nail in the coffin. South African publications have been struggling for years with a dwindling circulation, competing with digital and holding onto advertisers. As rough as it might be right now, I also believe that this has created an environment for new ideas to thrive, which is good.
Jade: How do you think this time will affect women of color in particular?
Asanda: I think it’s a really exciting time to be a black woman media. Now is the time to take charge, to put into action the ideas you’ve been sitting on for so long, and to amplify the voices of other women of color in media wherever possible.
Jade: What is your advice for mitigating the effects of the current climate?
Asanda: I think for me, my agility has always proved to be my strongest asset. Right now, the media landscape surely is uncertain, but individuals and companies alike should aim to transform, adjust, and adapt in a way that would make it possible to make it through this stronger than before.
Jade: It’s interesting that you launched @blackeditors_ while all of this is going on..how did it all come about?
Asanda: Firstly, I am a Black Editor, so this is very personal for me...There are all these women I could have looked to when I started my journey, and I had no idea that they existed because of their erasure in South Africa’s history books. The contribution made by black women to the magazine industry as we know it today cannot be overlooked, and I have made it my mission to shine a light on these women-especially if we are blessed enough to still have them around.
Jade: Do you think mentorship is important to attain success in this industry?
Asanda: Absolutely. Having someone to guide you and show you the ropes is invaluable, but at the same time-for me I didn’t have anyone. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that the absence of a mentor shouldn’t discourage you from making things happen for yourself. In addition to that, a mentor isn’t going to come looking for you. So there needs to be a process of actively seeking and reaching out to people who you think could share some necessary insights with you.
Jade: Whats the one thing you wish you knew when you started out?
Asanda: Oh boy, I think the hardest lesson for me was realizing that my talent alone was simply not enough. I always knew I was gifted, and somehow expected that to lead me to what I deemed to be “success’. However, what really got me here was my tenacious nature. I always wanted to do and be better, and consistently working at that proved more beneficial to me than my talent ever did.
Jade: Do you have any plans to take @blackeditors_ from URL to IRL?
Asanda: I don’t want to give too much away, but there are definitely plans in motion to expand the platform to reach and educate more people, so stay tuned!
Jade: What can we look forward to seeing from you in the next few months?
Asanda: Alot! I’m finally working on the book I always dreamed of..Other than that I would really like to give back to the place that birthed me in the Eastern Cape, so I’m in the process of setting that up, and it’s all really exciting! This time has given me the chance to reflect and refocus my energy on what’s important to me, and now I am able to give time to the things I have always wanted to do.
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