Ferial Haffajee was born on February 20, 1967, in Johannesburg, South Africa[7]. She is a South African journalist and newspaper editor, known for her work with the City Press, Mail & Guardian, and The Huffington Post South Africa[1][2]. Haffajee grew up in Bosmont, a disadvantaged area in Johannesburg, with her two older brothers and her parents, Ahmed and Ayesha Haffajee, who worked in the clothing industry[6]. She matriculated from Bosmont High School and later studied Law at Witwatersrand University[6].

Haffajee served as the editor of the Mail & Guardian newspaper before moving to the City Press newspaper, where she worked as the editor from July 2009 until July 2016[1]. She then became the Editor-at-large of The Huffington Post South Africa[2]. Notably, she was the first black female editor of a national newspaper in South Africa[5]. Haffajee is also a board member at the International Women’s Media Foundation[4].

Throughout her career, Haffajee has been an advocate for press freedom and women’s empowerment[5]. As of March 31, 2023, Ferial Haffajee is 56 years old and maintains an active presence on social media, including Twitter[10].