Media Work

Writing has been something that our founder, Sharon Gilbert-Rivett, has been doing since she could hold a pencil, so it made sense that she should pursue a career in journalism, starting out as a reviewer for a major UK rock magazine and moving into mainstream news as a features writer and sub editor for the Cambridge Evening News with freelance shifts on Fleet Street in her spare time.

She moved back to South Africa in the early 1990s, got married (writing in her married name of Sharon van Wyk) and spent 11 years at The Pretoria News before going freelance, working for The Mail & Guardian and launching its travel section, Escape, as the paper's Travel Editor. During this time she worked for all of South Africa's major publications, contributing travel and conservation-based stories with a focus on sustainable tourism and how tourism helps to drive conservation and community empowerment. In 2010 she won a SANParks Kudu Award for her contribution to conservation journalism and also a Siemens Profile Award for scientific writing.

In 2006 Sharon moved into the broadcast arena, starting Painted Earth Productions, writing and producing compelling natural history documentaries which went on to sell across the world. She also produced and directed a travel series for local South African television on sustainable tourism destinations across Southern Africa, entitled "The Good Trip". 

Painted Earth Productions became a platform for Sharon's freelance writing and media work and is now the media arm of The Safari Collective, proving her with the opportunity to continue writing about travel and conservation across sub-Saharan Africa. In 2010 she got divorced and reverted to her maiden name. She currently writes for Travel Africa magazine, and contributes regularly to Africa Geographic, Daily Maverick and a host of online platforms and publications.

Sharon brings her brand of journalistic excellence to her Safari Collective clients, along with more than 40 years' experience crafting stories that matter.