Davis shot to prominence soon after she arrived at Daily Maverick in 2011. Her refined writing, incredible versatility and combativeness, as well as her outspoken nature, earned her an important place within the South African news media scene. Her celebrated book Best White and … brought her legions of fans across South Africa. That was not enough for Davis, of course, as she also has her regular slot on 567 Afternoon Drive.

“I’m truly happy to be back to my news media home, Daily Maverick”, says Davis. “Rejoining the best team in South Africa and the veritable army of our brilliant contributors, as well as knowing that we will be regularly publishing Zapiro, makes me really excited. Our country is in a slightly mad space right now, and we need free and intelligent media more than ever in the last 22 years. I’m looking forward to many years of meaningful contribution, and, don’t forget, loving my daily work. ”

Says Branko Brkic, editor of Daily Maverick: “Even though she was not officially with us in 2016, we still knew Rebecca Davis was part of our team and long-term vision. So it just feels right that she is back with us, with all her incredible skills and the ability to communicate the most complicated subjects and concepts and still have readers asking for more. Daily Maverick is seven years old now – 2017 will be the year in which we start seeing the real results of our long and sometimes extremely hard slog to the prominence we enjoy today. Rebecca Davis was an integral part of that ride and it just feels so right that she’s back where she belongs.”

Rebecca Davis will report directly to the Daily Maverick editor-in-chief. Expect her stories from 9 January. DM