Previously, Ferial was the editor-at-large at Huffington Post SA and the editor of the African National Centers for Investigative Reporting (ANCIR). She also served as a researcher at the Public Affairs Research Institute. Additionally, she was the editor-in-chief at the Mail & Guardian and City Press. Ferial is a regular analyst and commentator on radio, television, and other forums.

Ferial is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and a member of the Africa Leadership Institute fellowship. She has won numerous awards for journalism and for her support of media freedom.

Born to clothing workers Ahmed and Ayesha Haffajee, she grew up in a disadvantaged area in Bosmont, Johannesburg. She grew up with two older brothers who she says were her “first political building blocks”. She matriculated from Bosmont High School and went on to study Law at Witwatersrand University as per her mother’s request.

However Ferial Haffajee ended up studying English and African Literature and graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. During her tenure as Editor at the Mail and Guardian, she worked with her husband Paul Stober, who was her Deputy Editor. She lists reading, meditation and travelling as her most valued recreational activities.