Du Preez spoke to media update’s Adam Wakefield about her move from Independent to Tiso Blackstar Group (Tiso) and how being part of a new stable will help her focus on personal finance.

New opportunities to explore personal finance

Before joining Tiso, formerly Times Media Group, Du Preez had worked at Independent Media since July 2000, starting first as Personal Finance production editor, then becoming assistant editor a year later, and, finally, editor in August 2012.

Having been at Independent for so long, when Tiso came calling, Du Preez was attracted by the myriad of opportunities available to her.

Money and the Sunday Times: A new audience and challenge

Among the adjustments Du Preez has had to make since joining Tiso is coming to grips with the broad audience the Sunday Times appeals to, but it’s a challenge Du Preez is cognisant of.

“The key thing is to ensure that the copy is always accessible to anybody and not dependent on how much knowledge they have,” Du Preez says.

She also says the aim is to create content strategies that make the information available and understandable across the lower-income market, middle-income market, and high-income market.

“I think the articles for the Business Times Money section will be a cross section of content from the simple to the more complicated stuff. We also plan to launch the online platform and put on the online platform guides that will help people to get more information and more explanation of different topics.”

Readers should have the option of both expanding and augmenting their knowledge. Accessing guides online separate from where the content sits, be it online or in print, makes their journey that much easier, she says.

Creating continuity with familiar faces

Du Preez was not the only Personal Finance alumni that joined Tiso in May, with Du Preez’s long-time colleague Angelique Arde also making the short journey across Johannesburg. Du Preez says being able to work with Arde, and bringing a form of continuity, is very helpful.

“Angelique is an expert in certain areas that are not my areas of expertise. We complement each other very well. She’s very knowledgeable on credit markets, managing debt, the debt counselling process, and that sort of thing,” Du Preez says.

“She also deals with topics such as banking and property. I know what she is capable of.”

A new element, one which Du Preez calls both “exciting and intimidating”, is her and Arde being able to lean on Tiso’s long history as a producer of high quality business journalism. Home to the likes of Business Day, the Financial Mail, and BusinessLive, Du Preez says the capacity available at Tiso in the finance and business sphere will be a boon for the content featured in Money. This takes practical effect in Money being able to focus on its core offering, while the news function cared for by other journalists.

“At Tiso, I know Tamar Kahn [science and health writer at the Business Day], and she covers healthcare very well. We can very easily decide what’s actually news and what’s more on the advice side.”

Working with the likes of Kahn, Du Preez and Arde can cherry pick the most applicable information they need for Money safe in the knowledge the news element is taken care of. From Du Preez’s prespective, readers require both what Money has to offer, and being informed of what happening day-to-day in the markets.

“We can work together and become stronger and more effective. Previously, you found yourself writing news, and sitting on it over the weekend, which is a silly thing to do in this age of digital-first,” Du Preez says.

The social good of sound financial advice

Du Preez has been writing about personal finance for nearly 20 years, longer than many of the current careers that populate the local journalism industry. What is it about the subject that keeps Du Preez coming back for more, day after day?

“I think its two things. The one is that it fulfils a social need, the need for personal finance content to be able to help people deal with their finance better is very satisfying,” Du Preez says.

“The second thing has been the learning curve and I haven’t stopped learning. There are a range of personal finance issues we deal with and I’m still learning. When I stop learning, that will be when I’ve had enough of writing. It hasn’t happened yet.”

For more information, visit www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times 

Want to stay up to date the latest media news? Subscribe to our newsletter.

*Image courtesy of Tiso Blackstar Group