The SAGE acronym

 

The SAGE acronym, S.A.G.E., indicates peer recognition of excellence in a field. It is the highest honour that SAGE can bestow on an editor. Being a SAGE member doesn’t mean that you can automatically write the acronym after your name on opening and closing credits. Only those members who have been awarded the acronym, and have continued paid up membership, are allowed to use it.

The acronym application process aligns itself with the international standards set by the American Cinema Editors (ACE) and Australian Screen Editors (ASE) associations, but is also mindful of the South African context. Making it a rigorous process for both the applicant and committee. It is important to note that the acronym should not be thought of as a rite of passage for an editor, but rather a special accolade to celebrate excellence within the craft. The application process is rigorous and does not guarantee a positive result.

According to our the constitution, applications for acronym accreditation require that the editor:

• Be a current member of SAGE, with a minimum of five years paid-up membership.
• Have been a Full member for at least one year before applying.
• Have at least five years industry experience as an editor.
• Have demonstrated their ability to advocate the role of editors in the industry.
• Submit a body of work that is considered to exhibit a consistently high standard of editing.

 

An acronym sub-committee, consisting of a minimum of three SAGE members who hold the acronym, review the applications and make recommendations to the executive committee.

Please specify if you are applying as an offline editor, colourist, or sound editor, and only submit work that corresponds to this skill.

Successful applicants will be accredited with the Acronym and presented with a certificate bearing their name and the date of their accreditation. Unsuccessful applications are welcome to re-apply in following years.

We do an annual call out for acronym applications in September to invite our members who feel they meet the rigorous criteria to apply. For any further questions to write to acronym@editorsguildsa.org.

 

The Difference between SAGE and S.A.G.E.

The correct abbreviation for the South African Guild of Editors is SAGE. The SAGE acronym is awarded only to eligible applicants who have been approved by the acronym committee. Recipients are allowed to write S.A.G.E. (in a slightly smaller font if possible) after their names. Being a SAGE member does not automatically entitled someone to use the acronym, or write it behind their name.

 

The following members are acronym holders, as of 2024:

Stephen Abbott       

Dinah Arnott 

Kerryn Assaizky

Tracy Clayton     

Rowan Cloete     

Nikki Comninos   

Yoav Dagan 

Kirsten de Magalhaes   

Eva du Preez

Babette du Toit 

Jack Esterhuizen     

Uta Frey 

Megan Gill

Melanie Jankes Golden   

Tanja Hagen

Floris Kotze

Maryke Kruger       

Jackie Le Cordeur 

Catherine Meyburgh     

Este Nortje     

Ula Oelsen     

Melissa Parry       

Kathy Pienaar   

Tanya Rosenberg 

Susan Scott       

Khalid Shamis 

Andrea Shaw   

Gugu Sibandze 

Edgar Sibaya     

Ashley Smith 

Richard Starkey     

Micki Stroucken 

Jolene van Antwerp

C.A. van Aswegen

Juli Vandenberg 

(Please note that these are active members for 2024. Acronym holders who haven't renewed their membership for 2024 aren't allowed to use their acronyms.)