The women who made me

Charismatic broadcast journalist and presenter of eNCA’s The Spotlight Tanya Nefdt talks about the five women who helped shape her confidence.

VANESSA BAILEY

Not only is Vanessa my sister; she’s also my best friend. She’s always been my biggest cheerleader and has been rooting for me since we were kids – even from behind the scenes when I was unaware she had entered me into competitions. As old as I am today, she’s still the first person I call when I encounter challenges in life.

NERINA NEFDT

My mom hails from a flamboyant family and her vivacious personality rubbed o on all of us. This was one of the reasons I ended up on TV. She’s also the strong one in our family and has always encouraged me to pursue every single dream I’ve had since I was a little girl. She demonstrated her strength by raising four kids while holding down a full-time job. And the example she set enabled me to raise my own son as a single mom.

SYDNEY BAILEY

My niece is the one person in our entire family who keeps us grounded in our faith. She reminds us daily, on our family group chat, that there’s a higher power and we’re never alone. She’s had a successful modelling career and now she has founded an equally successful NPO, the Holy Hands Foundation, which is an organisation that helps the homeless.

DEBORA PATTA

When Debora oered me the role of news anchor at eNCA, I was only five months into my first job as a weather anchor on the channel. The best advice she gave me was that not everyone was going to like me, and never to let that dim my light.

ELLEN DEGENERES

Ellen’s reporting style resonates with my own because she uses humour to encourage her guests to open up. When I watch her, I’m inspired, no matter how gloomy life seems. Just like Ellen, I want to make people’s lives better.