Bio
Vanessa Jansen is a South African writer, producer, actress and presenter best known for her role as the Lady of Love in the SABC1 relationship reality show All You Need Is Love, from 2003-2006.
She received the Duku Duku award for Best Female Presenter for her work on the show, in 2003.
In 1996/1997 she starred in the play The Game, for which she picked up an FNB Vita award for Best Actress.
In front of the camera, Vanessa presented the first three seasons of The Big Idea, a science show for SABC1, from 1998-2000.
She was also the co-host (with Riaan Venter) of the SABC2 reality competition series Our House, in 2008.
She has also had a successful career behind the camera. Some of the productions she has worked on include documentaries such as Mosebetho - The Myth of the Raingoddess and Millennium Broadcast (both for SABC2).
She was also a writer on the television shows Soul City, Soul Buddies and Rivoningo; and was the production and script coordinator for the SABC2 soapie Muvhango in its first season, in 1997.
She was also the content director and a scriptwriter on the second season of the reality series Come Dine with Me South Africa, in 2013.
Vanessa is a former Head of Drama at SABC and a Commissioning Editor on SABC 1's soapie Generations, when it achieved its 1st ever consistent 65% market share.
While at the SABC, she led the standardising of long running series contracts as well as the creation of SABC TV Content Hub's Quality Assurance System.
Vanessa contributed to Mzansi Magic's inaugural content strategy and the creation of the original format The Road to Miss SA.
Vanessa joined Known Associates Entertainment, an independent production house, at its inception in 2018 working as the development producer on their film and television slate including the adaptation of Ugly Betty where she was seconded as the head writer on uBettina Wethu.
She has been a mentor on the NFVF SEDIBA Program and has worked and trained with some of the best local and international producers and content developers.
She has facilitated various training workshops, developmental programs and taught at AACA, a local Audio-Visual college.
She is a qualified Project Manager, GIBS certified, and holds a Cum Laude Diploma in Fashion Design.
She was the founding Chairwoman of Women of the Sun (WoS) and an Advisory Member at SASFED (the South Africa Screen Federation).
Vanessa is passionate about storytelling, learning, content development and transformation.