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
The porcupine with the chainsaw
Once upon a time, there was a porcupine with a chainsaw. His quills were sharp, standing by to pierce anyone who might offend his multiple
The Podcast Report: “Malema, you are a criminal, ha-ha!”
“There is justice in South Africa. Its wheels turn slower than peak hour traffic in Joburg, but it turns.” The recent conviction of Julius Malema
What Hitler, Putin, Jane Goodall and I have in common … but not Trump
My dog transformed my life. It taught me how to give and receive love. I never knew how to do it before. Booze got in
The Podcast Report: Helen Zille for Joburg mayor?
“You can have my beer, Helen Zille – but give me running water!” It seems an odd combination to put Helen Zille, Ozempic, and beer
What would a true national dialogue look like?
I played a fascinating game with fellow attendees at a conference last year. The facilitator divided us into different personality groups, using the Myers-Briggs classification.
What I miss about Joburg
Parts of me feel like an American refugee; ‘n verrraaier, even. At times, I feel as if I snuck off the battlefield early, leaving the
The BEE 100: publish their names
World attention is increasingly focused on South Africa. In the vast, rich country of extremes and diversity, human dramas are played off every day. It
South Africa: The curse of high expectations
It is a story as old as humanity itself. Icarus burns his wings when he flies too close to the sun. Icarus didn’t fail –
“Feel terrible, eat less!” The Ozempic method?
I am not morbidly obese. I am not anorexic. I am not bulimic. But I am a binge-eater, and I am sick and tired of
Strategies for a successful mission to the US
In a recent interview with Biznews, Helen Zille suggested two qualities that would be needed when dealing with the US and Donald Trump: “keeping a