Globe Post has added another national accolade to its growing list of achievements after Editor-in-Chief Shirley Nirmala Govender secured third place in the Human Interest category at the 2026 AVBOB FCJ Excellence Awards.
The recognition places the community publication among newsrooms from across South Africa whose journalism was celebrated for its quality, relevance and impact.
Hosted annually by the Forum of Community Journalists (FCJ), in partnership with main sponsor AVBOB, the awards recognise excellence in the country’s local and community media sector. This year’s ceremony was held on Friday, 21 August, at The Capital Menlyn Maine in Pretoria, honouring work published during the 2025 cycle.
Govender’s award marks another significant achievement for Globe Post and its sister publications, Orange Farm News and Walkerville & Savanna City Times, which continue to focus on stories affecting communities across Johannesburg’s south.
“This is called the Oscars of community journalism. We are super proud to have been acknowledged in such a profound way, especially alongside big newsrooms like Caxton and Media24,” Govender said.
She added that the recognition came just weeks after Globe Post took first runner-up in the Community Reporting category at the Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards.
The latest accolade follows a particularly successful period for Govender, who was also named a finalist in the Community Service Reporting category of the 2026 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards. Her recognised reporting focused on early childhood development and challenges facing a preschool in Lenasia South, highlighting practical responses to problems affecting children and families in underserved communities.
Govender has spent more than three decades building independent community journalism and ensuring stories from Johannesburg’s south form part of the wider public conversation.
The national recognition further highlights the important role community newspapers continue to play in telling local stories that may otherwise go unheard, while holding their own alongside some of South Africa’s larger newsrooms.
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