How Abigail Visagie became a household name in South African broadcasting
Growing up in Danville, Mafikeng broadcaster Abigail Visagie didn't think she would be reading the news and being watched by millions of South Africans.
Life often has plans for us, and opportunities sometimes land on our paths. When we grasp them, the doors that open are life-changing.
Visagie’s first introduction to television was when she was a presenter for e.tv youth show “Craze” in high school. During a trip to the Rand Show with her family they stumbled on the auditions and a member of production spotted her in the audition and invited her to audition.
“It's so crazy because now so many years later I'm on eNCA, which is the sister channel. A full-circle moment for me, that's where I started. And that's where I am now.”
Years later, Visagie found herself back in the world of media when she was a part of the defunct 24-hour television station African News Network (ANN7). When her agent called to tell her of the opening of being an anchor at a news channel she was not necessarily sure but her agent advised her to try it out, do it and see how it goes.
A few months later Visagie’s training to be a news anchor with seasoned broadcasters Gerry Rantseli-Elsdon and Chantal Rutter Dros. Visagie is candid about her experience at the channel, things didn't go well, when the channel went live in August 2013.
“It was just a very, very challenging time at many moments.
“I thought maybe this is not for me, and I've made a mistake and need to quit, but Gerry Elsdon was adamant that she sees potential and that I should continue doing it and just move forward, and try and improve. And then five years later I was still with the channel”.
Visagie used her time at ANN7, to learn the tools of broadcasting, absorbing as much information, on-screen and even in production.
“Even though that was a very challenging time for me because of Twitter and social media and everyone had something to say I just used it as a time in my life where I absorbed so much information.
“I learned as much as I could, I grew as much as I could, I took every opportunity during that time frame.”
Life presented Visagie with another opportunity to try something new, this time with E! Entertainment Africa when they reached out to her to participate in “The Search: E! Host South Africa”.
Visagie was the show’s runner up and Katleho Sinivasan won the competition. Not winning was disappointing but Visaigie believes it was God’s way of directing her. The exposure, lead to more opportunities such as being headhunted by Moja Love for the talk show, “Show Me Love”.
Visagie hosted the show with Unathi Nkayi, Nontobeko Sibisi and Kgomotso “KG” Moeketsi.
“My journey has been one of faith and allowing God to guide me from teen presenter to news anchor, reality TV, show host, and then ultimately, now back to the news at eNCA. It's been an amazing journey of ups and downs, difficult, and challenging times, and also, fantastic times. I'm just so grateful.”
A recurring theme in Visagie’s career is her ability to grab opportunities with both hands when they come knocking on her door.
Often fear can hold a person back but Visagie feels that when opportunity finds you, you have to jump, you have to take the risk if it's something that you genuinely want for yourself.
“My advice always is do it scared. You can't be brave if you're not scared.”
Visagie never studied journalism or media studies, the first in her family to attend varsity, she studied business management, something her parents wanted.
“I didn't even realize at the time that journalism or media studies was an option.
“Just because going back to where I grew up, it was never a discussion that you can study something that can give opportunities to the world of television and journalism. It was never even a conversation.
“So it never even crossed my mind that I could study something that would one day help me.”
But here she is owning the screens, a decade later. Visagie has built a solid reputation for herself as a professional, hard working and dedicated anchor.
She’s worked on her craft, consistently improved since her first broadcast which was a complete disaster and became a respected anchor.
Elsdon words encouraging Visagie to pick herself up and improve and come back again tomorrow and do better stuck by her.
“If you want to be in this industry, you have to have a thick skin,
“You have to understand that mistakes are going to be made. Every broadcast is not going to be perfect. You are going to stumble, sometimes you'll even fall. But you have to pick yourself up”.
Now she’s an eNCA news anchor, something that has always been on her wishlist from when she started enjoying and loving broadcasting.
“You have the opportunity, you need to make sure that they don't ever regret giving you this opportunity.”
Her first big interview at the channel was with Lynn Forbes. “For me to get his mom on my time slot and for her to agree, and come in so openly and so candidly, about the situation and his life, and everything that had happened was just such an amazing achievement for me. I think for me, was just a moment where I sort of solidified the fact that I deserve to be here.
Visagie is a woman who is an example that you be successful in your way, doing things on her terms. From MCing, creating content and slaying some of Joburg’s top and exclusive events, red carpets to fashion shows.
“I think it's really important to showcase that you can be multidimensional and you can be multi-talented.”
At every event I’ve spotted Visagie at, I’ve always seen her beautifully dressed, very ladylike, very demure and mindful. She describes her style as very feminine, and slightly modest and believes in dressing for her body type.
I think that fashion just depends on you and I think being comfortable in your own skin, being comfortable in what you're wearing, whether it's modest or whether it's not is the way you need to go.
“Whatever makes you feel more confident and for me, it's just being feminine. It's being girly.”
Content creation is something that Visagie loves and she’s passionate about it. This is evident in the quality and kind of content she posts on her platform. She doesn't look at herself as an influencer but as someone who loves creating content.
Visagie has made sure to invest in her content to deliver the best quality content, even at times not making a profit because she invests in her craft using professional videographers and editors.
“Those are the sacrifices you have to make at some point in your career if you want to grow.
“Sometimes you have to invest back into your business and you have to say, ‘I'm getting paid X amount but that X amount needs to go to improving my camera or purchasing lighting or getting a better tripod and you don't get paid but you are adding to your business.
“You are growing your business and those are just the sacrifices that you have to make.”
Creating content isn't all fun and games and there is a lot of work that needs to be done, from planning, setting up, filming and needs a person to commit to it. It does however pay off especially when you submit something you are proud of to a client and start working with your dream brands.
Visagie’s journey with beauty brand L'Oreal Paris is steadily growing, her campaign with them was with their hair department, she’s MCeed a magazine cover reveal for one of their influencers and now she’s worked on a digital beauty campaign with them, set to drop soon on socials and the Internet.
“I was like, what you want me to shoot and I'm going to say the words, I'm worth it in the campaign, I'm actually gonna say it and I'm gonna see myself saying it.
“I saw that eight-year-old me watching Mahikeng in Danville on a small little TV in my parent's living room. You're telling me that I'm going to be one of those girls and that to me is just insane.
Visagie wants people to know that you can be on the reserved side and still achieve all of these things. The fact that I come from a small town makes other girls that come from small towns feel like, if she can do it, I can do it.
“I think that's so important because I know what it feels like not to have that, and how it can discourage you without even knowing because you just can't envision it for yourself.
IOL Entertainment