Qaanitah Hunter is an award-winning political journalist with the Sunday Times in Johannesburg. Her writing on South African politics and investigations feature prominently on the front pages of the Sunday Times and often set the agenda in the country.  She has reported fearlessly on state capture, the Zuma years and the political transition thereafter. Qaanitah’s constant probing and investigations have played a pivotal role in holding truth to power. In 2019, she became the youngest person to be awarded the Nat Nakasa award for brave and courageous journalism. The judges of the award commended her for showing integrity and reporting fearlessly. Qaanitah’s accolades include Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award in 2016 and 2017 both regionally and nationally. She was also the runner-up in the Taco Kuiper award for investigative journalism in 2016. Her political analysis and commentary on current affairs and politics have featured prominently on many platforms including the SABC, eNCA and Talk Radio 702. She has also previously written for the Daily Maverick and the Mail & Guardian. In 2017, Qaanitah was featured on The Young Independents list of 100 influential youth as a disruptor to watch. She has fought strongly against censorship and intimidation among journalists and has been a strong advocator for the freedom of the press.  Qaanitah holds an Honours degree in Journalism from the University of the Witwatersrand where she focused her research on the phenomenon of fake news and its impact on journalism.