BREAKING NEWS 🚨
eNCA Investigative Journalist Nabeelah Shaikh Dies At 34
South African journalism has been dealt a devastating blow following the death of award-winning eNCA investigative reporter Nabeelah Shaikh, who died at the age of 34 while seven months pregnant.
Her death was confirmed by eNCA on Saturday, 14 November 2026, following an announcement by the Central Islamic Trust. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Shaikh, who had announced her second pregnancy less than two weeks ago, was laid to rest alongside her unborn child at Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg on Saturday night.
Born and raised in Tongaat, KwaZulu-Natal, she was married to Waseem Ally and had a young daughter, Maahira.
Shaikh built a respected career in investigative journalism, earning recognition for her fearless reporting. She began her career at the Sunday Tribune in 2013 before working for e.tv, Seen.tv and Hashtag Our Stories.
Among her notable achievements was receiving the regional Editor’s Choice award at the 2015 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards, aged just 23, for an investigation into South Africans recruited by the Islamic State group. She also received regional recognition in 2017 for an investigation into corruption at UKZN’s Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine.
At eNCA, she covered major crime and current affairs stories, including the killings of women in Ekurhuleni and the 2026 local government elections.
Her passing has prompted an outpouring of tributes from colleagues and former newsroom associates, who have remembered her as a courageous journalist and a compassionate colleague.