After matriculating from the Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool in Pretoria, Liana Reiners enrolled for a National Diploma in Journalism at what was then known as the Technikon Pretoria.

It was during this time that she was offered a temporary position at WHEELS, South Africa’s only successful motoring annual. The idea was to work as editorial assistant at the publication for one year, in order to complete the compulsory practical side of the journalistic course.

What originated as an opportunity to learn the ropes of journalism and publishing, so to speak, developed into a fully-fledged career in the motoring media and to this day Liana is in the employ of WHEELS. Incidentally, her mentor and publisher of WHEELS is well-known motoring journalist and former television presenter Adri Bezuidenhout.

Although Liana started off as editorial assistant, she currently holds the position of editor of the prestigious publication. This not only involves the writing of features, but also liaising with advertising clients, photographers and freelance contributors, proof reading and subbing of copy, as well as working closely with the printers and distributors of the publication.

Liana was the motoring correspondent for Nexus, the official magazine of the South African Correctional Services for many years. The WHEELS staff were also responsible for the motoring pages of Metro, a Pretoria-based community newspaper which has since been discontinued.

She has experience in the writing of press releases, translating from English to Afrikaans and vice versa, as well as organising events.

While having a patient husband and two lively toddlers at home makes the travel associated with being a motoring journalist difficult, Liana says she wouldn’t change her job for any other. It has given her so many opportunities and she is honoured to be a past jury member of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists’ Car of the Year competition.

One of the highlights of her career was celebrating the 25th anniversary of WHEELS Motoring Annual in 2006. Her next milestone would be 20 years “service” at the publication and that’s not too far off.