Meet the Solo Editor Celebrating the Heartbeat of Zululand

Photo Credit: Debbie Patten

When Debbie Patten traded the corporate world for the wild bushveld of St Lucia, the region changed her life forever. Now, she’s paying it forward through her own digital platform, inspiring others to discover and explore the beauty of Zululand.

Zululand, South Africa (09 June 2026) – Debbie Patten may not have been born in Zululand, but the moment life led her to northern KZN, she embraced it with open arms – and the region poured itself right back into her, creating memories to last a lifetime.

Born in Salisbury, Rhodesia, Debbie moved to Witbank, South Africa, at nine years old. Her true love affair with Zululand began in 2014, when she chose to leave the corporate world of media and advertising behind, trading it for the wild beauty of Thula Thula Game Reserve to become the owner’s PA.

“That is where I had that amazing encounter with Thabo, their rehabilitated rhino. I lived in St Lucia for many years,” she tells us.

Recalling some of the things she admires most about the area, Debbie shares that the way in which community members would always put their differences aside and unite in times of difficulty was just beautiful.

“I loved that. People are friendly. I felt like I was part of a big family. A 10-minute walk to the shops could take an hour as you had so many people stopping you to say hello. Living surrounded by bush, beach and estuary with hippos, honey badgers, and sometimes even leopards roaming the streets by night and monkeys, mongoose, guinea fowl and warthogs taking them over by day was magical,” Debbie says.

It was this very friendliness, natural beauty and overall magic of the region that inspired her to share it with the world through a passion project that draws on her love for writing: St Lucia News.

Operating as a completely solo editor, designer, and publisher, she launched the digital publication, which is dedicated entirely to celebrating the heartbeat of Zululand.

“From highlighting local community heroes and small businesses to promoting vital wildlife conservation initiatives in the iSimangaliso and Zululand areas, I do it all from my laptop.”

Her first publication was a six-page issue in July 2021, featuring the many amazing things she had seen daily while living in the area.

“I saw so many amazing things on a daily basis living there, and there were so many interesting people, I just had to share with friends and family. My 90-year-old neighbour, Nydia Brits, who got up to such crazy things, pushed me to start writing for the town,” she shares on the inspiration behind St Lucia News.

Debbie has been on numerous adventures, from breathtaking safari trips and frightening close calls with elephants to supporting local charities and helping move crocodiles to new enclosures – among many other awesome wildlife encounters.

And she shares all about this in her writings.

“I get a thrill every time I see that people are reading and responding to my stories. It has grown to a 40-plus page issue now, and the Facebook Platform has grown. I don’t know anything about writing, design or editing, but have learnt a little every issue. It honestly amazes me that people enjoy my stories; it’s such a good feeling. It has also allowed me to hopefully help support the community with advertising and arranging events and photo competitions.”

Interviews with singer Jakkie Louw and snake rescuer Nick Evans have been major highlights too.

Though she recently moved to Cape Town to be closer to her first grandchild, Debbie is still as driven as ever to put the region that stole her heart on the map for the rest of the world to discover, visit and support.

“I hope that the readers see the beauty of this region and want to come and explore. I just hope I leave a smile on readers’ faces and maybe make their day a little more interesting, and create a desire to explore the wild.”