Have you ever felt that your voice was being stifled, or wondered what it would be like to leave everything behind just so you could tell the truth? What would drive a journalist to walk away from their homeland - not out of adventure, but because they could no longer breathe under the weight of censorship?
In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Johan Allers, a man whose work on local television and radio was a familiar part of my own childhood. Johan’s career saw him reporting on some of the most important and difficult moments in our country’s history, but it was the growing pressure to toe the official line - and the inability to report freely and honestly - that eventually pushed him to leave South Africa.
Interviewing Johan was a powerful reminder of just how personal the choice to relocate can be. For Johan, it wasn’t just about career ambition or curiosity about life overseas; it was fundamentally about integrity, and the need to tell real stories without interference and fear. His reflections on those final years in South Africa, the moments when he realised he could not be the kind of journalist he aspired to be, really struck a chord with me.
Whether you’re thinking about moving abroad, facing similar professional crossroads, or simply interested in the stories behind South Africa’s media past, I hope you’ll find Johan’s journey as compelling and honest as I did.
“I actually became for the first time, truly confronted with the realities of South Africa as it was seen [through] the eyes of the Europeans at that time.” - Johan Allers
00:00 Introduction
05:14 Award-winning producer
09:16 Early career ambitions
11:50 Being a journalist during apartheid
14:24 Media manipulation in South Africa
20:15 Connections to the liberation movement
22:25 Meeting Kofi Annan
25:14 Chance encounter with Muhammad Ali
30:19 Moving to Amsterdam
33:26 Travelling Europe for TV
38:10 His views on the Afrikaans refugees in the U.S
41:46 Longing for home
44:04 The essence of SA
Resources
Find your digital home with fellow Relocated South Africans around the world. Visit https://therelocatedsouthafrican.com and connect with Jan at jan@therelocatedsouthafrican.com
This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:
