A presentation outlining the state of the market for freelance media workers and the services provided by Safrea, the Southern African Freelancers Association.
2. MEDIA LANDSCAPE
★ Majors shedding headcount
★ Outsourcing content
★ Insourcing content!
★ Rates under pressure
★ Media migration
★ Legacy media shrinking
★ New media booming
3. SAFREA: THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN
FREELANCERS ASSOCIATION
★ Home to hundreds of
media professionals
★ Writers, editors, photographers, designers,
videographers…
★ Share knowledge (eg. non-paying clients),
support, advice on sourcing work, tax, contracts
★ Recommend industry rates.
★ Training and jobs resource
4. SAFREA.CO.ZA
★ Safrea is a professional association of freelance
workers in the communications field.
★ Founded in 1999, Safrea promotes the interests
of freelance media specialists, working to raise
their professional standing and to make
working as a freelancer more rewarding.
★ National Exco, Oversight Committee, Regcos in
Gauteng North, Gauteng South, KZN, Eastern
Cape, Western Cape,
★ 400+ members
5. SAFREA.CO.ZA
★ Some jobs
sourcing
★ Students
rates R165p.a.
★ Regular talks,
niche events and larger events.
★ Biggest Safrea asset is combined experience
base of our members. Access this via the
Safrea Google Group.
6. GAPS I FOUND…
★ Screenwriting course via Safrea…
★ Magazine stories for colleagues without
capacity
★ Private publishing
& editing of book projects…
★ Freelancer networks!
7. THE FREELANCERISATION
OF SOCIETY
★ Lay-offs.
★ Print rationalisation.
★ Shrinking, unwieldy legacy media vs
nimble start-ups
★ Fragmentation
★ Gap in labour legislation
★ Advocacy. Lamp. Uasa. Ccifsa
8. THE FREELANCER’S GAMBIT
★ Don’t be so precious about “journalist”. Rather
“writer”. Or at worst: “Content Provider”
★ Multiskilling & reskilling. Scripts, developing,
film, strategy, copywriting, blogging, literature
★ Building networks. From varsity, on social
media, in all work.
★ Temporary collabs
9. THE FREELANCER’S CHALLENGES
★ Legal issues. Eg. Plagiarism, defamation.
★ No brand support. Build your own!
★ Financial pressure
★ Time pressure.
★ No time pressure
★ Ethical issues
10. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
★ It’s precarious as a freelancer, but you can pay
the bills.
★ Be versatile! Build networks!
★ Support your colleagues.
★ Don’t say no to anything, but know your worth.
11. ALSO, LIFE IS SWEET!
★ Freelancing: Sometimes the worst career
move ever is the best career move ever!
