eNCA pays tribute to investigative reporter Nabeelah Shaikh

South African investigative journalist Nabeelah Shaikh has been remembered by colleagues as a meticulous reporter, trusted friend and devoted mother following her death at the age of 34.

Shaikh, who worked for eNCA’s investigative team, had recently joined the broadcaster’s newly formed unit and had already completed two stories, according to Investigations Editor Dasen Thathiah (eNCA).

Her death was announced on Saturday, 14 November, prompting tributes from colleagues and members of the wider media industry.

The broadcaster said Shaikh passed away in hospital after a short illness. She was laid to rest alongside her unborn child on Saturday night.

In a tribute also published by The South African, Shaikh’s career and contribution to investigative journalism were also highlighted, including her earlier work at the Sunday Tribune and recognition at the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards.

For Thathiah, speaking publicly about Shaikh’s death was not the first assignment he had imagined taking on as investigations editor.

He said he had hoped his first major task with the new team would involve celebrating an award or significant achievement. Instead, he found himself reflecting on the loss of a colleague whose next chapter in investigative journalism had only just begun.

‘I’ve been at eNCA a long time, and this probably ranks as my most difficult assignment, having to speak about this,’ Thathiah said.

Although Shaikh had been part of the investigations team for a relatively short period, she had already contributed two stories. Thathiah also spoke about their years working together, including their time in the Durban newsroom, where they shared an office and remained in regular contact.

He said her professional reputation was well established, but wanted people to remember the person behind the reporting as well.

‘The one thing that sticks out for me, because I think everyone knows by now what kind of a journalist, she was, but perhaps not everyone that saw her knew what kind of a person she was,’ Thathiah said.

eNCA Head of News Lukhanyo Calata recalled first meeting Shaikh in 2018, when the broadcaster was establishing Open News on the Open View platform.

At the time, she was the only journalist based in the Durban office.

Calata said her approach to reporting was marked by careful attention to detail and a commitment to getting the facts right.

‘But her work ethic, just how meticulous she was with making sure that she dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s with every story. She was just an amazing journalist. She was an amazing person as well,’ Calata stated.

He also acknowledged the loss to her family, describing the impact of her passing on her husband and young daughter.

‘Nabeelah was 34 years old. She had a three-year-old little girl, and her husband wasn’t much older, and this young and very beautiful family has lost its cornerstone. We send our love and our condolences,’ he added.

A career built on investigative reporting & a loss felt beyond the newsroom

Shaikh began her journalism career in 2013 as a multimedia journalist at Independent Newspapers’ Sunday Tribune, before working across television and digital media.

Her work earned regional recognition at the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards, and she went on to report on a range of public-interest issues.

At eNCA, her assignments included coverage of the killings of women in Ekurhuleni and the 2026 local government elections.

Shaikh’s colleagues have spoken about the combination of professional commitment and personal warmth they experienced while working alongside her.

Thathiah’s account reflected a colleague who was not only building her place in a new investigative team, but who had also established lasting friendships across newsrooms.

Her death leaves behind her husband and young daughter, while colleagues and fellow journalists remember her contribution to reporting and the relationships she built throughout her career.

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Source: eNCA & The South African