Bio
Merisha Lalla is a South African journalist and television presenter best known for presenting the KwaZulu-Natal segments of the SABC1 HIV/AIDS awareness programme Siyayinqoba Beat It!.
Merisha attended Kamalinee Primary School in Lotus Park and Isipingo Secondary School in Isipingo Hills. She was head girl of her primary school and a prefect at high school, matriculating in 2003.
She was a student at the West End Academy of Speech & Drama, from 1993-1996. She received Distinction passes in Speech and Drama Practical and Theoretical Examinations.
She is currently engaged in a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). She is a Bachelor of Arts (Media & Communication, Internet Studies) and BTech Honours in Journalism Graduate from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Durban University of Technology respectively.
Professionally, she is currently the general manager for Siyaya Skills Institute (Gauteng), a business unit within the EOH Group. Prior, she was the national brand, marketing and communications specialist at PMI - the Production Management Institute of South Africa.
Before this promotion, she was employed as a business development consultant and project co-ordinator at PMI KZN.
Prior, she was the acting academic manager and deputy academic manager at Damelin Westridge, preceded by positions as the Higher Education and Training (HET) co-ordinator and senior lecturer in the Journalism and Media Studies Department at Damelin Westridge.
Academically, she has produced content and presented as an online tutor for Upload Media / Edge Publishing for their conceptual videos project in the following subjects: Corporate Strategy, Business Literacy and Business Law & Accounting Control.
Previous to this, she held the position of Head of News & Actuality at Radio Hindvani; a reporter and producer for Newsbreak, Current Affairs, Lotus FM – SABC Radio News, Durban as well as a news bulletin producer and presenter for SABC Radio News, Durban.
She also completed a television series with the Community Health Media Trust as a producer and presenter for the television programme Siyayinqoba Beat It!, on SABC1, from 2007-2008.
Merisha also freelances for African Lotus Productions as an ad-hoc presenter. In the written form, she completed a voluntary internship with The Mercury Newspaper and also freelanced for Mega Zone Media as a radio producer for their online radio station: Megazone FM and as a writer for their Magazine: Durban Zone.
She is involved with religious and cultural organisations and engages in humanitarian and community upliftment work through these outlets. In addition, she is a freelance programme director for various religious, cultural and social programmes.
Born and raised in Lotus Park, Isipingo, Durban, Merisha's parents are Dan Lalla, the Deputy Chief Education Specialist for the KZN Department of Education; and Shamila Lalla, an office administrator.
She has a younger sister, Trisha.
Merisha was the founder and editor of the bi-monthly newsletter Isipingo Hindi Sabha News, from January 2004 to December 2005. She was responsible for writing articles, sourcing content, typesetting, layout, editing and final compilation. She also set up and maintained a website for the organisation.
For two months in 2005 she was a voluntary journalist for The Mercury newspaper in Durban. She wrote articles and received bylines on major news stories, assisted senior reporters in sourcing information and interviewed personnel for relevant information.
She also participated in field reporting and assisted photographers with captioning and editing.
Merisha was also a freelance writer for Eish! magazine, writing on various topics relating to living in KwaZulu-Natal.
From 2007-2008, Merisha was employed as a community journalist by the Community Health Media Trust for the SABC1 programme Siyayinqoba Beat It!, a multi-lingual magazine programme about HIV/AIDS and related topics.
Her duties and responsibilities included presenting inserts, filming inserts, sourcing and researching stories, writing insert treatments and scripts, writing pieces to camera, compiling shot lists, planning and conducting interviews, production co-ordination for shoots, and development of networks with partner and related organisations.
Merisha has also appeared on radio and television programmes to speak about youth involvement in culture and religion, providing motivation, guidance, leadership advice and ideas to allow them to better integrate and engage with fellow youth.
Merisha has sat on numerous social and cultural committees. She was president of the Hindu Students Association at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is currently the Secretary of Shree Sanathan Dharma Sabha of South Africa – a national body for Hindus focusing on Priest issues and issues affecting the Hindu community.
She has also been a delegate on numerous exchange programs and conferences, including the Brightest Young Minds conference, held in Gauteng.
In 2008 she was nominated for a Standard Bank Salutes the Women of KZN Award in the Rising Stars - Youth Role Models category.