Bilchik goes by the book on personal presentation

South African-born television presenter and author, Nadia Bilchik, is heading to Cape Town for the Jewish Literary Festival on 28 April. The SA Jewish Report speaks to her before she heads out.

Tell us about your life in South Africa before you emigrated.

We moved to Atlanta in 1997, but I will always be grateful to have witnessed South Africa’s first democratic election. At the time, I was a presenter for M-Net and had founded On Cue, a presentation and media skills training school. I had two young children, and what I often describe as a magical, “organic” network – friends and colleagues I had known all my life. As the Joni Mitchell song goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” I look back on those years with deep fondness and nostalgia.

Why did you emigrate?

My husband, Steve, had applied for green cards and we ended up winning them through the lottery. There was a deadline to relocate if we wanted to keep them. We chose Atlanta because Steve had a job offer there and, importantly for me, CNN was headquartered in the city. I was fortunate to arrive in August, and began anchoring for the CNN Airport Network by December.

What was your childhood dream for your career?

More than anything, I wanted to be an actress. I took every speech and drama class I could find. I was fortunate to learn from incredible teachers such as Doreen Feitelberg, Della Fuchs, and Taubie Kushlick. King David High School was also incredibly supportive, allowing me to perform in numerous school plays. One of my favourite memories is playing Viola in Twelfth Night opposite my brother, Brian, as Sebastian.

What drew you to television, training, and writing?

After being interviewed by Penny Smythe about a film I had acted in, I realised I was more interested in asking the questions than answering them. Soon afterwards, I heard that M-Net was auditioning for presenters. I auditioned on a Monday, and by Saturday night, I was on air.

As far as speaking and training goes, I was hosting a business show for M-Net when I noticed that though the participants were great in person, they became nervous once they were on air. I offered to coach them before the next taping, and was excited by the improvement. That was the inspiration to start doing media and presentation skills training, which has evolved into books, workshops, and keynote speeches on a variety of topics.

The books you’ve written aren’t leisure reads. They’re focused on success. Why this genre?

I wanted to create enduring resources for my workshop and keynote participants. No matter how long the session, there’s always more to explore. The goal of the books is to continue the learning beyond the room.

How do you go about researching and writing your books?

My first book, Own Your Network: Expert Networking In-Person and Online, began as transcriptions of my live seminars. That content became the foundation for the book. We recently published the 2025 edition with the subtitle Building Relationships in a Rapidly Changing World. For this updated version, I collaborated with my editor and aunt, Miriam Lacob Stix. We spent hours in conversation – often recorded – discussing how hybrid work and artificial intelligence are reshaping the way we connect. I speak, Miriam writes, and then we go through it together. For Own Your Space, I had the pleasure of partnering with Johannesburg-based coach and speaker, Lori Milner. We did numerous interviews with remarkable individuals whose life lessons are inspirational. My third book, Small Changes, Big Impact is about maximising your presence and leveraging the power of your personal brand. Once again, we taped and transcribed my workshops and keynotes for it.

What’s the one thing you still want to achieve in your career?

I would love to launch a podcast centred on tribulations versus triumphs. I believe that we learn more from our failures and missteps than we do from success. The podcast would explore the stories behind the setbacks, and how people overcame them. I would also like to expand the current podcast I do with my brother, Anton, who is a cancer surgeon. The title is “Live Long! Live Strong! Live Healthy!” We started it when Princess Catherine was diagnosed with cancer. We’re still planning an episode with my sister, Tanya, who is a neurologist and my brother, Brian, who is a cardiologist. The four of us did several livestreams during the COVID-19 pandemic, and always ended with a warm hello to our mom, Annetta.

What does being Jewish mean to you, and what impact does it have on your life?

Judaism is a central part of my life and that of my children, and now my grandchild. We celebrate Shabbat every Friday night, and observe all the Jewish holidays. For my two-year-old grandson, Leo, we want to instil a strong sense of identity and belonging. We’re incredibly fortunate to be part of a vibrant, supportive Jewish community.

You’ve lived in the United States far longer than in South Africa. What’s your relationship with South Africa today?

I still proudly identify as South African. Both my mother and mother-in-law still live in South Africa, as do many of my friends and extended family. I have deep love, gratitude, and reverence for the country and its people.

What’s it like coming back to South Africa?

It always feels like home!

Why do you believe the festival is important?

It’s an inspiring space where people can come together, connect through ideas, and engage in meaningful, enriching conversations. It celebrates the power of storytelling and the value of community.

• Nadia Bilchik will be interviewing acclaimed author David Baddiel at the Jewish Literary Festival in Cape Town. Go to https://jewishliteraryfestival.org.za to book and see the schedule.