By Cii Radio | Sabeelul Hayaat with Mas-oodah Jappie
When Qaanitah Hunter first walked into the Channel Islam International (Cii Radio) building as a seventeen-year-old, she wasn’t the fierce journalist South Africa would one day quote. She was a teenager with a notebook full of questions ,and a spark that no one could ignore.
Today, she’s an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and the founder of The Debrief Network, shaping a new generation of truth-tellers. But her story didn’t begin under studio lights. It began behind a newsroom desk, compiling bulletins, writing articles, and learning the discipline of deadlines under the quiet mentorship of elders who valued both excellence and intention.
“Allah bless you and Allah make me better than what you think of. Ameen,” she laughed warmly during her interview on Sabeelul Hayaat with Mas-oodah Jappie.
The Barakah of Time
When asked how she manages to do it all, Qaanitah didn’t give a motivational slogan — she gave a simple truth.
“Mas’ooda, it’s called the baraka of time,” she said. “Alhamdulillah, I am supported. I have a great team of people around me. I’m immensely, immensely supported both personally and professionally. And I’m one of those lucky people who get adopted by all sorts of aunties and friends all over… who take me in and look after me.”
Even at the time of the interview, she was speaking from Durban , smiling as she described her afternoon.
“I just had the best lunch, gajar halwa, aloo fry, Durban Mutton Dhall and rice,” she said, laughing. “It’s a luxury.”
The Seeds of a Storyteller
Qaanitah’s journey into journalism began at Cii Radio, where she first learned how news could be both sacred and civic , a form of amanah (trust). She remembers the hum of the newsroom: the rush to meet bulletin deadlines, the echo of Qur’an from an adjacent room, and mentors who taught her to write with conscience, not competition.
Those early years weren’t glamorous , but they built the foundation of her work ethic. “They didn’t just teach me how to report,” she said, “they taught me how to write with integrity , how to turn news into something meaningful, not mechanical.”
That spirit of ihsan, excellence done with sincerity , became her signature.
The Books That Shaped Her Mind
In conversation, Qaanitah’s eyes light up when the topic turns to books. She proudly calls herself “a nerd,” and her shelves tell the story of her intellectual DNA.
“Any book by Mahmood Mamdani ,Neither Settler nor Native, Good Muslim, Bad Muslim ,all of his writing,” she said. “When When Victims Become Killers came out, it was probably the most authoritative writing on the Rwandan genocide… that book altered me and who I became in a very deep way.”
It’s that habit , to read deeply, to think widely,that made her stand out. Even as a teenager at Cii Radio, she read academic texts that few adults attempted. That curiosity, combined with the Islamic ethics she absorbed at Cii, became the engine behind her reporting.
The Climb-From Cii to the Corridors of Power
From the modest newsroom at Cii to national prominence, her rise was rapid but rooted.
She began covering political stories, often chasing quotes from ministers and power brokers twice her age — and twice as surprised when this young Muslim woman stood in front of them with sharp questions and fearless clarity.
“Be comfortable with who you are,” she said, recalling advice that carried her through difficult moments. “You belong to every room you walk into.”
Before long, she was writing for national publications, moderating on-air panels, and reporting for Newsroom Africa and Al Jazeera English. But even then, she carried her roots , the humility, the dua before deadlines, the conscience over clicks.
“I was taught that journalism is a form of amanah,” she said. “You carry people’s stories. You hold their pain, their truth. You can’t treat that lightly.”
The Burnout and the Breakthrough
After fifteen years of reporting and editing, Qaanitah faced a moment many ambitious professionals fear,burnout.
“I was completely burnt out,” she admitted. “I thought my time in journalism was over.”
So she stepped back, travelled, and reflected. “The problem wasn’t journalism itself,” she said. “It was the way journalism was being done.”
That realization led to the birth of The Debrief Network , a platform she founded to “fix the news, not chase it.”
“The biggest challenge running The Debrief Network,” she said with honesty, “is the finances. People like me are used to words , we’re not used to being responsible. But I’m deeply optimistic that that’s just an inconvenience that will sort itself out.”
The Power of Mentorship
Qaanitah’s voice softens when she speaks of her mentors, especially those at Cii Radio. Among them was Molana Ebrahim Moosa, who had established the Palestine Desk at Cii Radio during her time there. He has since completed his ‘aalim studies and now serves as a senior at the Palestine Information Network, continuing the same legacy of conscience-driven media that inspired her generation.
“People like Molana Ebrahim Moosa and others at Cii Radio gave me time they didn’t have,” she said. “They saw potential when I was just a kid asking endless questions.”
That experience shaped her leadership style. Today, mentorship is woven into The Debrief Network’s DNA , a newsroom of young, diverse writers who are trained to seek nuance, not noise.
Exactly What It Ought to Be
When asked to describe her life in one word, she paused.
“One word is a bit…” she smiled. “So I think, exactly what it ought to be. Like, incredible. In the most unique way.”
It’s a line that says everything about her state of heart: grateful, grounded, and guided.
The Gratitude and the Goal
Her final words in the interview were not about achievement but about shukr ,gratitude.
“I am immensely grateful,” she said. “I carry a huge amount of debt to Islam and to the audience and to yourself for being such a big part of my journey and my career. We forget sometimes what it takes to get where we are, and I remain grateful to this day. I hope in some small way I’m able to pay it forward… and in our combined efforts to make this world somewhat better, that we can get to the Hereafter together, to celebrate as Muslims, as the Ummah of the Prophet ﷺ — if we’re able to leave this world even marginally better than we found it.”
The Legacy in Motion
Cii Radio wasn’t just Qaanitah Hunter’s first newsroom. It was her first classroom, her first spiritual compass. It’s where she learned that words could be worship, that journalism, done with ihsan, could be a path of service.
Today, her voice echoes beyond South Africa’s borders , but it still carries that familiar rhythm: faith before fame, service before spotlight.
“We are a generation standing on the shoulders of giants,” she said. “And I never forget that mine stood right here at Cii.”
Closing Reflection
It’s easy to look at Qaanitah Hunter now , confident, composed, commanding and forget that her journey began with a teenager sitting in the Cii newsroom, racing to finish the next bulletin.
Her story isn’t just about success. It’s about intention (niyyah), integrity, and ihsan, doing your work with excellence because Allah is watching.
And maybe that’s the real secret to her success: she never left the newsroom , she just made the world her new assignment.
Cii Radio is a ‘Waqf’ and a registered Non-Profit Organization that aims to broadcast Islamic news and programs throughout the world.
