How to become a member

WHO QUALIFIES FOR MEMBERSHIP?

Membership is open to any freelance media professional in Southern Africa who specialises in the gathering and dissemination of news, information and/or images. Such a person may work in the print, electronic or digital fields, including newspapers, magazines, newsletters, business reports, radio, television and the internet.

They include:

• writers
• photographers
• graphic designers
• illustrators
• translators
• editors or sub-editors
• proof-readers
• researchers
• broadcasters
• project managers
• web designers and content specialists
• DTP experts
• voice-over artists
• scriptwriters
• indexers

 

WHICH MEMBERSHIP TYPE IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Safrea offers four main types of membership, each with slightly different benefits. For an at-a-glance comparison, see our Membership benefits comparison table.

Full Membership

If you earn the bulk of your income (more than 50%) from freelance media sources you may apply for Full membership of Safrea.

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Associate Membership

If you earn less than 50% of your income from freelance media sources you may apply for Associate membership of Safrea provided you meet the same standards of professional ability required of a Full member.

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Provisional Associate Membership

New from March 2010!

If you would like to apply for membership of Safrea but do not yet earn income from freelance media sources you may apply for Provisional Associate membership of Safrea provided you meet the same standards of professional ability required of a Full or Associate member. Provisional Associate members are usually professional media workers who are currently in full-time employment but would like to go freelance.

Provisional Associate membership is only valid for one year. The Provisional Associate must upgrade to Full or Associate status within one year or leave the association if they do not meet the requirements within one year.

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Student Membership

If you are new to the media industry and are actively studying your chosen profession, either through a formal study course or through self-study, you can apply for Student membership.

Student membership is usually only valid for one year or for the duration of the study course (subject to Safrea executive committee approval). Student members may upgrade to Full or Associate status provided they meet the requirements.

Note: If you are studying part-time while working, at least 50% of your income must be from media-related freelance sources. For example, studying for a postgraduate degree while employed by a company and doing some freelance work will not qualify you for Student membership.

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Each application is considered individually and will be judged according to protocols in use at that time.

 

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP?

• Membership of a professional body that addresses topical issues such as rates of pay, copyright and contracts
• Belonging to an organisation that creates beneficial relationships between freelancers and their clients, through constructive negotiation, information exchange and agreed protocols
• Access to union-style (but non-political) benefits, such as legal representation, through an alliance with UASA
• Online database of members accessible to anyone who could use freelance subcontractors
• Members-only e-group for networking, discussion and sourcing information
• Regular networking meetings with guest speakers (currently in certain regions only such as Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng)
• Opportunity for increased work
• Skills upgrades and courses at reduced fees
• Rates, terms and conditions guide
• Immense knowledge base within the membership to call on
• Support from other freelancers, both informally (via the Google Group, networking meetings, and one-to-one contact) and formally (via Safrea's developing mentorship programme)
• Professional website that acts as a huge resource of information

Membership benefits comparison table

	Full	Associate	Provisional Associate	Student
Annual fee	R 500	R 500	R 500	R 150
Access to members-only Google group	Y	Y	Y	Y
Access to members-only resources	Y	Y	Y	Y
Access to ad hoc training & mentorship	Y	Y	Y	Y
Personal profile on Safrea website	Y	Y	N	Y
Visible in Safrea member searches	Y	Y	N	Y
Renewable after first year?	Y	Y	N	N
Media card	Y	Y	N	Y

Google group: All Safrea members receive automatic access to the member-only e-group. You will start to receive emails from the group as soon as your payment has been processed. If you prefer, you can choose to receive a daily digest of emails or you can read the messages on the Google group website.

Profile on website: Members (other than Provisional Associate) are entitled to a listing in the member directory on this website, which can be searched by name, area and fields of work. This is searchable by any visitor to the Safrea website, so you should use it to sell yourself.

Media card: To enable us to create your Safrea media card, you will need to upload a portrait-style photograph to your profile on the Safrea website. The media card shows your full name, your membership type and your membership expiry date, as well as your photograph.

Training: Safrea offers all paid-up members discounted access to media and other training courses run by Safreans across South Africa and in diverse disciplines. Look out for a coming update on the latest training and courses available or email us for more information.

Mentoring: Veteran/experienced Safreans make themselves available to mentor new Safreans in different ways: via the Google Group, informally via email or phone, in person or on an ongoing basis as part of a longer relationship. The details depend on both mentor and protégée and are agreed between them. If you would like to make yourself available as a mentor in your discipline, or if you would like to add yourself to the list of potential protégées, please email us.

 

WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR APPROVING MEMBERSHIPS?

When you submit your online application form, you will receive an automated email to confirm that your application is in progress. If we need further information from you, we will email within a few days to ask for specific documents or details. Once we have received any additional information, it will take about a week for our membership committee to check your credentials and give approval.

Once approved, you will receive an automated email providing details of how and what to pay.

Once you have paid, you will receive a further automated email providing details of your membership benefits and how to login and access them. You will also receive notification of your Safrea Google group membership and will begin to receive members-only emails.

HOW DO I JOIN?

Ready to join? Just follow this link to the form, and remember to select the type of membership that's right for you!

Apply Now

If you are not sure which membership type is right for you and you have read the information on this page, apply as an Associate member and ask for clarification when you write about yourself on the application form.