---
title: "20 Questions with Bayanda Nqunqa"
description: "From audio production and photography to visual design and digital media, Joburg newsletters intern Bayanda Nqunqa has a love for storytelling in all of its forms. She answers 20 questions for Maverick Insiders."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "20 Questions"
author: "Daily Maverick"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/dailymaverick/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-07-15-20-questions-with-bayanda-nqunqa/"
published: "2026-07-15T12:38:46"
updated: "2026-07-15T13:38:27"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 352
---

# 20 Questions with Bayanda Nqunqa

> From audio production and photography to visual design and digital media, Joburg newsletters intern Bayanda Nqunqa has a love for storytelling in all of its forms. She answers 20 questions for Maverick Insiders.

By Daily Maverick · Published 15 July 2026, 14:38 SAST · Updated 15 July 2026, 15:38 SAST

## Key points
- Joburg newsletters intern Bayanda Nqunqa answers 20 questions for Maverick Insiders.

## Content

**Favourite book?**

The Alchemist.

**Favourite film?**

Not sure if it’s considered a film but it has to be Hamilton.

**Favourite series?**

Hands down, Law & Order: SVU.

**What is the most random thing you’ve ordered online?**

A galaxy projector that turns your ceiling into a night sky.

**What is the last thing on your phone that you took a screenshot of?**

Online order receipt.

**What app do you spend the most time on?**

TikTok, unfortunately.

**What’s your favourite piece of trivia?**

The smell of rain has a name: petrichor.

**What’s the weirdest superstition you secretly believe in?**

If I wake up before my alarm naturally, I think it’s going to be a good day.

**If you could relive one specific experience, what would it be?**

Realising my best friend was going to be my best friend.

**Window seat or aisle seat?**

Window seat.

**If you could live as someone else for the day, who would it be and why?**

An escape room designer. I love puzzles, so getting paid to create elaborate challenges, hide clues, and watch people try to figure out the puzzle sounds perfect.

**Career highlight?**

Landing my internship – it made everything I’d worked towards feel real.

**What are people always surprised to learn about you?**

I’m far more competitive than I let on.

**You’ve just been arrested. What crime were you likely to have committed?**

Snoozing my alarm all too often.

**If you weren’t working in your current role, what industry would you be in?**

Documentary filmmaker, staying in the media space.

**What is the most-worn item in your wardrobe?**

My Puma basketball shorts. I can only wear them at home now.

**What’s the best advice you’ve received?**

Try new things and fail. Fail and fail and fail again. But from those failures learn the lesson, for failure enables growth.

**Name one person you admire?**

Maya Angelou.

**What’s your current guilty pleasure?**

Rewatching the same comfort TV series for the 10th time. Right now it’s Criminal Minds.

**If you could travel anywhere tomorrow, where would you go?**

I’d go see my best friend, long distance is no joke.