Viv Vermaak
Viv Vermaak is an award-winning investigative journalist, writer and director. She was the most loved and hated presenter on South Africa’s iconic travel show, “Going Nowhere Slowly’ and ranks being the tall germ, “Terie’ in Mina Moo as a career highlight. She does Jiu-Jitsu and has a ’69 Chevy Impala called Katy Peri-Peri. Vermaak's Podcast Report is a monthly feature on the Daily Friend Show, and appears monthly in the Daily Friend as a column.
Articles By This Author
Helen Zille: angel, witch, gogo or leader?
Women in power, from Joan of Arc to Margaret Thatcher and Hillary Clinton, have always had a tough job bearing the judgements of their followers and detractors.
Sofa, so good, but Ramaphosa won’t wake up in the shower
30 years into the constitution, and South Africans are tuning in to the Phala Phala drama like Dallas in prime time. Podcasters add to it.
What do the moon landing, Riaan Cruywagen, and obesity have in common? Freedom!
A lot has changed between the first moon landing on 1969 and the historic 2026 Artemis mission around the moon. Human beings have now travelled further from the earth than ever before. We shared photos of the historic event with each other, not arguing this time whether they were real or not, but marveling at how AI could nowadays produce deepfake images that you could no longer tell from reality.
SA podcasts react to government threat of regulation
Donald Trump arguably won his 2024 election by embracing the podcasters. His appearance on The Joe Rogan show, amassing more than 50 million views in a few days, made him human and accessible to the voting public in a way that no formal election propaganda or news network could.
The difference between ad hominem, insult, and taking things personally
(Warning: this article contains swear words and penises.) “Dear fucking lunatic,” reads the salutation of a famous open letter to Donald Trump. It goes on: “At your recent press conference – more a word salad that had a stroke and fell down stairs – you were clearly so out of your depth you needed scuba gear.”
War on Iran: Western misadventure or righteous crusade?
“You cannot bomb people into liberation. The whole idea of freedom is that you choose it for yourself.” (Sizwe Mpofu Walsh)
The good old boys don’t drink whiskey and rye anymore
I stopped drinking seven years ago. I sometimes wonder whether that was a mistake.
Johnny the walker: DA leadership battle provokes mixed reactions
From gin in tin cups to threats of chopping off their own pinkies, opinionistas weigh in from left, right, and centre. It’s a hell of
Crocs: when ugly becomes beautiful (and profitable)
The remarkable story of Crocs is one of paradoxes. It’s about ugly shoes becoming fashion statements, a source of division amongst podiatrists, and how the
The podcast landscape of 2026: it’s like a box of chocolates
Like a box of Quality Street, everyone has their favourite favourite. Herewith some tastes from left, right, and centre. Our podcasters have carved out a