 Sharon Davis (Shaz)
Passionate about personal development - in her life, and in her craft - SHARON DAVIS is an established writer, editor and photojournalist. After almost a decade of freelancing, focusing on sub-Saharan Africa (primarily in the fields of Business & Finance, and Science & Health), I've relocated to New Zealand and can be found in Christchurch writing a range of specialist business material for The Small Business Company - from instructional guides for business small businesses, to the financial implications of new legislation and economic developments... Prior to this, I was based in Durban, South Africa. From late 2007 to mid-2010 I freelanced as Internet Securities' sub-Saharan African business and financial analyst and led a team of two other writers producing daily financial news for the region, as well as weekly and monthly sector reviews for telecoms, banking, mining and M&A. Since 2003 I've written regularly for a number of South African business-focused magazines, contributed to a banking e-zine and assisted with internal communications and B2B publications for a number of companies. I've also focused on science and health issues (mostly in sub-Saharan Africa) for a UK-based online science site, Science and Development Network, and won the regional (KwaZulu-Natal) Online section of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award in 2008 and 2009 for articles published online by SciDev.Net. I'm a magazine writing tutor for SA Writers' College and also write travel and adventure travel articles for local and international publications and have travelled to Nigeria, Uganda, Seychelles, Malawi, Zambia, the UK, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, New Zealand and Japan. Follow me on Twitter at @Biz_Writer and @shazster Work
I've undertaken writing and editing assignments locally and internationally, and offer writing, editing and printing production management services as required. In 2009 I guest edited the business-focused edition of Agenda, a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal focusing on development and gender issues, and served on the editorial board of the quarterly magazine Productivity SA. Qualifications I have a Bachelor of Commerce degree with majors in Legal Studies, Economics and Business Administration, and spent 2006 studying part time towards a postgraduate diploma in Commercial Forensic Investigation. AwardsI won the regional (KwaZulu-Natal) Online section of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award in 2008 and 2009. Experience My first article was published in 1988 and since then I've has made a living both as a freelance writer (article writing and editing) and as a journalist for Caxton Community Newspapers; as Assistant Editor at Contact Publications (producing two monthly titles: one for the security industry and one for the travel and incentives market); and as Editor and Publications Manager for the South African Sugar Association (producing the association's Annual Report, Industry Directory, monthly South African Sugar Journal, quarterly staff newsletter and annual Buyers' Guide). Articles written between 2007 and 2010 have appeared in:
- South African business magazines: Black Business Quarterly, Leadership, Wits Business School Journal, Business SA, Pursuit, My Business, Umnoto, OutSauce, Engineering News, Enterprise and Strictly Business.
- South African travel magazines: SA Country Life, Sailing for Southern Africa, Explore SA, Wild magazine, By The Way, @Leisure and Sawubona.
- Other South African magazines: Discovery magazine, Beautiful Brides, Leadership in HIV and AIDS, Progress and Reader's Digest.
- US publications: Desert Leaf, LiveLife Travel and USAID publication on business in Africa - INSAT.
- Internet publications: SARDC (www.sardc.net), Mail & Guardian Online and IPS (www.ipsnews.net)
- On-line medical and science site - regular contributor to Science and Development Network (www.scidev.net)
- Newspapers: Cape Times, Pretoria News and Sunday Independent.
- Books and annual publications: Contributed to Deep SA, a commemorative book on the South Africa mining industry and KwaZulu-Natal Business, an annual publication produced by Global Africa Network, as well as Telkom's annual report.
- Other: I've produced business and lifestyle articles for company newsletters and online publications to facilitate communication between business and customers and provided specialist weekly and monthly sector reviews on banking, telecoms, mining and M&A.
Recent photographs have appeared in:
- South African business magazines: Black Business Quarterly, Leadership (including cover for June 2009), and Enterprise.
- South African travel magazines: SA Country Life, Sailing for Southern Africa, Wild magazine, By The Way (including DPS), @Leisure and Sawubona.
- Other South African publications: Agenda (incuding cover).
- US Publications: Desert Leaf and LiveLife Travel.
Click here for links to recent on-line articles...
Click here for personal references... Copy writing and editing:Recent editing work for EFT Research in the UK and copy writing for uShaka Marine World and Eskom in South Africa. Sharon was also the Managing Country Editor (Africa) for Fisher's Travel SOS (based in the UK) for a period of two years (2006 - 2008) and managed a team of seven research agents and editors based in South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ivory Coast and Seychelles. Other interests When not typing furiously on her laptop Sharon was to be found teaching T'ai Chi, Qigong and other internal healing arts or pursuing a variety of outdoor interests including mountain climbing, horse riding, bird watching, hiking ... and is currently getting to grips with tramping (yup, Kiwi-speak for hiking) and a far more snowy (and cold) landscape.  Happy Birthday Shaz - 22 April 2008 .jpg "Image") Photos from helicopter...  Journalist underground...  Christmas 2006 - Shaz feeding the deer in Nara, Japan.   Shaz and Bob posing - the Last Samurai...  Shaz at the top of Sani Pass |
