YOUR PREMIUM COPY SHOP
Get an Ivy League-trained brain all over your copy – at local rates
About Sieraaj
Brightlight SA Communications is a language and media consultancy company founded by Sieraaj Ahmed, an Ivy League-trained* South African editor, journalist and ‘content maestro’ with almost 20 years of experience in editing and writing for some of SA’s top brand names.
I am a gifted storyteller who has written, edited, translated, proofread and signed off copy for publications and brands including YOU/ Huisgenoot/ DRUM magazines, eNCA, the national Department of Tourism, tvplus, and the University of Pretoria. With three degrees* and two decades of top-tier experience across print, digital, radio, television, and social media platforms, Sieraaj Ahmed and Brightlight SA Communications can help whether you need a press release edited, proofreading of a publication, a speech written, a logo designed, need graphics or photography for a campaign, to refresh your social media content, advertising copywriting, or help with a public relations campaign. Contact Sieraaj now and have an expert, Ivy League-trained brain overseeing all your ‘word needs’!
* Master of Arts, Columbia University in the City of New York, 2016/ Honours in Journalism (Cum Laude), Stellenbosch University, 2004/ Bachelor of Commerce, University of the Western Cape, 1998.
Sieraaj has worked with...
Our Services
Proofreading
A final edit of your story/ document/ graphic, usually in the ‘laid-out’ version that the public will see. Let me be your Ivy League-trained ‘safety net’ and catch any errors before your work goes to print or goes online.
Copy editing
Send your copy/ report/ story/ media release in text/ Word format and I’ll provide one of the best editing (with a little bit of rewriting/ polishing, where absolutely necessary) eyes in South Africa, and ensure your copy goes out error-free.
Social media
I’ve worked with social media since 2009, including three years overseeing the University of Pretoria’s accounts. If you need someone with an expert eye to oversee/ edit/ rewrite, I have the skills and experience to help you increase your social media presence and following.
Media release
Whatever the story is, I can help you write, strengthen, boost it, and better position it to be appealing to news editors. With 14 years of experience in newsrooms (YOU/ Huisgenoot/ DRUM/ tvplus/ NewsNow/ eNCA), I know what news editors are looking for.
Speechwriting
I’ve edited dozens of speeches for university vice-chancellors and other executives, and my storytelling abilities are available to help you craft a memorable speech, either incorporating an interview with you, or send me the info I need and let me do my thing.
Graphic design
Whether you need a new logo or social media graphics to announce a competition, we can help you not just with the words you need, but also design work that will help you get eyes on your campaign on social media and beyond.
Read My Work
Get to know me a bit more by reading some of what I’ve written over the past 20 years. Here’s a sample of some of the writing I’m most proud of.
Interview with Céline Dion
In 2008 I was the only SA journalist to score a one-on-one (phone) interview with Céline Dion – a cover story for YOU/ Huisgenoot/ DRUM magazines ahead of her ‘Taking Chances’ tour.
A nation in need of therapy
A column written for litnet in 2003 while studying journalism at Stellenbosch University – part of a series with (then) young journalists writing on their memories of apartheid.
A Tale of Two Nations
A 2015 column written for global online magazine Warscapes: A Muslim, gay, ‘Coloured’ South African examines how much has really changed in Mandela’s beloved Rainbow Nation.
What SA must learn from the Orlando massacre
A 2016 column for News24 in the wake of the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida, in which a gunman killed 49 people and wounded 53.
Bird in flight
A profile of Fatima Jakoet, forensic crime scene investigator-turned airline pilot-turned MBA graduate, for the University of Stellenbosch Business School in 2010.
A thank you to George Michael (and Aretha Franklin)
A column for Huffington Post SA/UK in 2016: How George Michael – and Aretha Franklin – gave the finger to apartheid and gave this little boy a lifetime of hope.
Contact Us
Send an email to find out more about a service listed or tell me about your particular copy needs, and hopefully you can have an Ivy League-trained brain all over your copy soon!