Reuters seeks reporter in Johannesburg

Reuters is looking for a top-notch reporter to cover companies in South Africa, the continent’s most developed economy.

The successful candidate must be able to build sources among tight-lipped bankers, lawyers and company executives to break news in an increasingly competitive market. He or she should also be comfortable with deep-dive stories that uncover news or trends others have overlooked.

South Africa is home to a $800 billion equity market that boasts scores of fascinating companies – from Naspers, a $58 billion e-commerce and media powerhouse, to MTN, Africa’s biggest mobile operator, which may slowly be losing its grip in key markets such as Nigeria.

This exciting corporate story cuts across the file: companies are struggling with the weaker rand and burdensome regulation from a government still wary of private capital. Meanwhile, 20 years after the end of apartheid, boardrooms are still dominated by whites, to the chagrin of the ruling ANC whose policy of ‘black economic empowerment’ has done little except enrich a politically connected elite.

Based in Johannesburg, the reporter will be part of a three-person team also at the front-line of corporate developments in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, from the spread of mobile telephony and banking, to cross-border M&A to the expansion of multinational retailers, breweries and consumer goods firms.

Portuguese language skills will be considered a distinct advantage.

The successful candidate will also be expected to take regular shifts in slot and occasionally on weekends. He or she must also be comfortable pitching in when a big story breaks in another patch.

For questions and applications, please contact Southern Africa bureau chief Ed Cropley (edward.cropley@thomsonreuters.com) or deputy bureau chief Joe Brock (joe.brock@thomsonreuters.com)