20 Questions: 20 questions Annemieke Thomaidis
Fresh out of Stellenbosch University and already chasing stories on and off the field, junior sports journalist Annemieke Thomaidis is fuelled by good coffee and a love of sport. We asked her 20 questions so you can get to know the person behind the byline.
Annemieke Thomaidis is a junior sports journalist currently based in South Africa. She is an avid reader, with her all-time favourite being The Book Thief, and her recent favourite being Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Annemieke's favourite film of all time is Mamma Mia, and her go-to documentary series is Friends.
She has a habit of ordering quirky items online, such as a mini dictionary. Her latest screenshot on her phone is a list of South Africa’s medal winners at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Annemieke's preferred app is TikTok, and her favourite piece of trivia is that spotted hyenas hunt for their food 60% to 90% of the time. She believes in the superstitious practice of knocking on wood to prevent tempting fate.
If she could relive one experience, she would choose witnessing the northern lights for the first time. Annemieke prefers an aisle seat on a flight for easy bathroom access. In a day in the life of another, she would love to be a dog, enjoying endless scratches and naps. During her internship with Daily Maverick, a career highlight was covering the Cape Town Sevens.
People are often surprised to learn that Annemieke's age might shock them. She hasn't committed any crimes, but if she were arrested, it might be for snoozing her alarm repeatedly. Annemieke's go-to item in her wardrobe is her beloved black cargo pants. Her best piece of advice is to practice until you can't get it wrong. Her mother is the person she admires most; she raised three girls alone and provided Annemieke with countless opportunities.
Currently, her guilty pleasure is rewatching The Summer I Turned Pretty. If she could travel anywhere tomorrow, Bali would be her destination, a place she visited and enjoyed greatly in 2023.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
