Toby David Shapshak’s career in journalism has spanned breaking news, investigative reporting, covering politics, sport and technology, to running two online newspapers, editing a national newspaper’s sport and technology sections at the same time and editing a men’s magazine.

Toby is the editor of Stuff, the South African edition of the world’s largest-selling gadget magazine. He writes a column for The Times newspaper and is a contributing editor for Business Day’s Wanted magazine. He regularly appears on CNBC Africa and Talk Radio 702 to discuss technology trends.

He was the Telkom ICT Journalist of the Year for 2002, and was a runner-up in the mainstream newspaper category in 2003 and 2004. He won the fixed telecommunications category in the 2003 Profile Awards, which rewards science and technology journalism in the SADC region. He has previously won awards for his science journalism and was a judge for the 2003 digital Loeries. 

In 2009 Shapshak was named in GQ's top 30 men in media and the Mail & Guardian's 300 influential young South Africans. GQ said "Shapshak has become the most high-profile technology journalist in the country" while the M&G wrote: "Toby Shapshak is all things tech. As the editor of Stuff magazine... he reigns supreme as the major talking head for everything and anything tech."

He has written for the Mail & Guardian, Sunday Times, Sunday Independent, Financial Mail, Business Day Weekender, This Day, The Observer in London, and various local magazines, including GQ, GQ Cars, Maverick, Empire, Best Life, ELLE, Elle Decoration, Visi, Marie Claire, Fair Lady, Cosmopolitan and SA Sports Illustrated. He has been a stringer for international wire agencies UPI and AFP. His technology writing has appeared in Brainstorm, Unwired (now called Digital Life), PCFormat, PCReview, African Communications, Intelligence, Convergence, Mobile.Works, Intelligence and other technology publications.

He has been the M&G’s technology editor on three occasions, having been both the paper’s sports editor and technology editor during his first stint. While covering science as part of his technology portfolio on the first occasion, he won several awards for science coverage. He edited the sports section through three World Cups. He was a contributing editor for GQ for 10 years before launching Stuff in November 2007 for Avusa. Until March 2009 he was the digital publisher for Avusa's magazine division, before economic conditions curtailed that project.

After running the sports desk at the M&G, he returned to a breaking news environment to head the then Daily Mail & Guardian, now known as the M&G Online, as news and sports editor, when it was the largest online news site and leading source of South African news. He was the acting editor when he left to set up and run the newsroom for Broadcast Interactive, the former internet arm of media company Kagiso Media.

Prior to going to the M&G, Toby covered the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the national news agency Sapa, amongst other beats, including shadowing Nelson Mandela’s Gauteng activities when he was president.

He also runs Maven Media, where he has published numerous magazines and managed major website projects for blue chip clients. Print publishing clients have included Nokia, FirstRand Group, MultiChoice, Microsoft, Internet Solutions, Accenture and Enterprise Connection.
Maven Media have also managed the official host country World Summit on Sustainable Development website for South Africa and redesigned the entire Standard Bank website, including several other divisions. Other online clients include Microsoft, Absa Bank, the Gauteng Economic Development Agency (Geda), Edgars, Incredible Connection and Netstar.

Contact details

Mobile: +27-82-576-1969
Email: toby at mavenmedia.co.za 

Download as a PDF: Shapshak_biog_journ_2009.pdf