eNCA anchor Heidi Giokos reportedly dismissed after unauthorised car ad, sources say
eNCA anchor Heidi Giokos has reportedly been dismissed after a disciplinary process linked to an unauthorised car advertisement, according to people familiar...
eNCA anchor Heidi Giokos has reportedly been dismissed after a disciplinary process linked to an unauthorised car advertisement, according to people familiar with the matter. The move ends a 15-year run at the South African broadcaster, sources said.
Entertainment and media journalist Phil Mphela said on X on Wednesday that Giokos and a second anchor had their contracts terminated after what he described as violations of declaration rules in their employment agreements. The exact declarations have not been made public. Quietly, the matter landed hard.
Long run at the channel
Giokos joined eNCA in 2011 and became one of the channel’s most recognisable faces on air. Her departure, if confirmed, would mark the loss of a veteran newsroom figure at a time when broadcasters are tightening internal compliance rules around outside work and commercial ties.
The question at the centre of the case is straightforward, even if the details are not: what employees must disclose, and when. In broadcast news, those rules can matter as much as the stories anchors read out on air. A missed declaration can trigger discipline. Fast.
Why the case matters
Cases like this travel beyond one newsroom. Broadcasters from London to Lagos face similar pressures as on-air talent build personal brands, take part in ads, or appear in sponsored content that can blur the line between journalism and promotion. Employers often require staff to disclose outside arrangements to protect editorial independence and public trust.
Giokos had also been subjected to abuse over her interracial relationship, according to the source report, adding another layer to a public career already marked by scrutiny. Tony Ndoro stepped in to fill her role while the hearing was still under way, sources said.
News of the alleged dismissal surfaced through media chatter on July 30, 2026, before spreading across South African entertainment and newsroom circles. eNCA has not publicly detailed the alleged breach, and the specific car advertisement at the centre of the dispute has not been disclosed.
The broadcaster, one of South Africa’s best-known news channels, now faces renewed attention over how it polices staff disclosures. For Giokos, the outcome appears to close a long chapter at eNCA. Fifteen years. Then silence.
