New Era’s Mukokobi wins Simply You Lifestyle Journalist of the Year

New Era journalist Pricilla Mukokobi has won the Lifestyle Journalist of the Year award at the Simply You Awards, marking her first journalism award and recognising her growth and contributions to the profession.

Mukokobi said the achievement was especially meaningful because friends nominated her and supported her throughout the competition.

She described the award as a reminder that hard work, consistency and faith can open doors and expressed gratitude to everyone who voted for her and helped make the achievement possible.

“I was nominated by friends, which made the nomination even more special because it came from people who believed in my work. Yes, this is my first journalism award, and winning it is an unforgettable moment,” she said.

The demanding campaign required her to encourage daily voting and track support. Maintaining momentum was difficult, but encouragement from family, friends, colleagues, and supporters kept her motivated through the end.

Her mother made one of the campaign’s greatest impressions by finding a way to vote despite having no airtime. Mukokobi said she used airtime taamba and encouraged her colleagues to vote, extending support beyond the family.

“When I explained to my mother what we were voting for, she didn’t even have airtime, but she took out airtime taamba just so she could vote for me. She then encouraged her colleagues to vote as well,” Mukokobi said.

She said her mother’s sacrifice reminded her that people believed in her and that she had a reason to keep going despite the challenges.

“That level of belief and sacrifice touched me deeply and reminded me that I couldn’t give up. This award belongs to everyone who supported me, especially my mother,” she said.

Mukokobi’s achievement follows years of building her journalism career. She began in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and joined New Era in 2023. Since then, she has covered entertainment, youth, community and business, experiences she says have strengthened her journalism career. Reporting across these areas has pushed her to improve her work, ask better questions and find stories reflecting ordinary Namibians’ realities.

“Every assignment has challenged me to improve my reporting, ask better questions and tell stories that matter to ordinary Namibians,” she said.

Mukokobi credited New Era with opportunities to learn from experienced colleagues, explore different areas of reporting and build her skills. Proud to represent the publication, she said the award reflected not only her achievement but also the support and mentorship she received.

“Winning Lifestyle Journalist of the Year means the world to me. Personally, it is a reminder that hard work, consistency and faith can open doors,” she said.

Professionally, the recognition has motivated Mukokobi to improve her work and tell stories that make a difference. She plans to strengthen her journalism skills, especially in financial and business reporting, and produce impactful stories that inform, educate and inspire while upholding accuracy and balance. Through continuous learning, curiosity and improvement with every assignment, she hopes to become a better journalist.

Mukokobi encouraged aspiring journalists to remain humble, work hard and never stop learning, noting that recognition should not become the main purpose of practising journalism.

“Recognition is rewarding, but the most important thing is to serve the public with accurate, balanced and meaningful journalism,” she said.

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