South Africa’s biggest investment in community media: a historic day for local journalism
The following are the remarks prepared by AIP chairperson Anetta Mangxaba at the launch announcement of the Digital News Transformation Fund.
Today marks a groundbreaking moment for the media landscape in South Africa as the country witnesses its largest-ever investment in community media. This milestone underscores the vital role of locally-driven journalism in fostering informed and empowered communities. For decades, community media outlets have been the backbone of grassroots reporting, amplifying the voices of underserved populations and preserving cultural and linguistic diversity. This historic initiative not only reaffirms the importance of independent, community-focused journalism but also sets the stage for a more inclusive, informed, and democratic society. With this investment, the future of local media in South Africa shines brighter than ever.
The Digital News Transformation Fund (DNTF) is a groundbreaking partnership between the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) and Google. We believe it is set to revolutionize local journalism. Over the next three years, the DNTF will deliver a monumental R114 million—the biggest financial commitment ever made to South Africa’s grassroots media sector.
We understand the challenges our publishers are facing and recognize the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on our sector, with many of us forced to halt printing. However, we believe this fund serves not only as a lifeline but also as a launchpad for something new and exciting.
Local and independent publishers, long underfunded and under-resourced, now have a chance to rise. We believe our publishers are the heartbeat of our democracy. They hold power to account, tell the stories of the marginalized, speak to people in their own mother-tongue languages, capture our local history and culture and work to actively wrestle and defeat mis- and disinformation at the local level.
For too long, we have struggled with the digital divide, declining revenues, and rising print prices.
Today, we can finally say there is light at the end of the tunnel.
This unprecedented funding is about more than money—it’s about reshaping the future of journalism. It’s about empowering publishers to embrace digital transformation, produce original public interest journalism, and build sustainable newsrooms that thrive in the digital age. It’s about ensuring that our media ecosystem is inclusive, diverse, and capable of reaching every South African, no matter where they live or what language they speak.
So upfront let’s answer a number of important questions.
Firstly, who will our Digital News Fund Support?
The DNT Fund’s overall objectives are to strengthen local and independent news organisations to develop their digital operations, produce original public interest journalism, promote diversity and inclusion, and foster long-term sustainability.
The DNT Fund will provide targeted support to media organisations that:
- Support original public interest journalism.
- Ensure digital transformation and product development.
- Focus on financial sustainability and revenue development.
- Promote audience engagement.
- Are product-agnostic (DNTF-support projects do not need to make use of Google products and services).
Secondly, who can apply to the DNT Fund?
The eligibility criteria for the DNT Fund are as follows:
- Beneficiaries must be local or independent news publishers who produce original public interest journalism, and who have existing or planned digital news products, or industry bodies who support the local and independent news media ecosystem;
- Beneficiaries do not need to be members of AIP, or to make use of Google products or services.
- Beneficiaries must be members of the Press Council of South Africa, to ensure a commitment to journalistic ethics;
- Applications for funding may be made by standalone publishers (“individual beneficiaries”) or consortiums and collectives (“collective beneficiaries”) to enable industry-wide projects.
- Publishers who qualify for, or already benefit from, a Google News Showcase agreement are excluded from applying as individual beneficiaries.
- Publishers with more than one million unique monthly visitors to their website are precluded from applying to the DNT Fund as individual beneficiaries, unless they are ineligible for a Google News Showcase agreement due to language or other restrictions;
- Beneficiaries must display a genuine commitment to digital transformation, including a tangible technological or commercial goal, and to developing strategies to ensure the sustainability of their organisations.
- Beneficiaries may not be news aggregators, general interest magazines without a clear commitment to public interest journalism, or broadcasting services.
Thirdly, how will the fund be administered?
- It will be administered by an experienced independent trust, Tshikululu Social Investments.
- Oversight, governance, and day-to-day management of the DNT Fund will fall to several structures:
- The Fund Secretariat, housed within Tshikululu Social Investments, will manage the DNT Fund’s day-to-day operations;
- An Adjudication Committee, made up of five independent industry experts, will review and approve applications for funding;
- A multistakeholder Oversight and Advisory Board will be constituted to provide overall strategic and fiscal oversight of the DNT Fund. The board will include representatives from the Press Council and AIP.
- The DNT Fund will be subject to robust transparency and reporting mechanisms, and a list of all beneficiaries, including the type of funding, the amount received, and the funding period, will be made publicly available.
- Members of the Oversight and Advisory Board will be subject to a conflict-of-interest policy.
- To ensure the independence of the DNT Fund, Google, as the primary funder, will not be involved in funding decisions and will not participate in any of the organs of the DNT Fund.
Fourthly, and finally, how much funding will the DNT Fund provide?
It is envisaged that the DNT Fund will offer three tiers of support, depending on the needs and capacity of each applicant:
- “Build”: Up to ZAR 380,000 per project, per year, for publishers with limited or no online presence to lay the groundwork for a solid digital foundation.
- “Grow”: Up to ZAR 950,000 per project, per year, for publishers with basic digital products seeking to expand their reach and capabilities.
- “Engage”: Up to ZAR 1,900,000 per project, per year, for digitally mature publishers looking to invest in new technologies to enhance their digital business models.
Colleagues, we are so excited by the promise of this initiative.
We need to remember that this is not just a financial moment. We believe it is a historic turning point that invites all of us— publishers, journalists, editors, activists and academics—to take action.
To the publishers and journalists, seize this opportunity to innovate and bring your stories to life in ways that inspire and inform. To the academics and activists in the room, this is your chance to push for accountability and demand that media serves the public good. And to all of us here and online, this is our moment to reimagine the future of media and equip the next generation with the skills and vision they need to succeed.
Let us not underestimate the power of this investment. It is a recognition of the value of grassroots voices, a commitment to democracy, and a belief in the resilience of our media industry. This is our time to ensure that every community has a voice, every story is told, and every South African is informed and empowered.
Together, we can make this historic day a turning point for our democracy, ensuring a future where local journalism thrives, and every citizen has access to the truth. In time for the local government elections in 2026.
Thank you to you all. Let’s rise to this challenge, and let’s make history together.
INFORMATIOMATION PACK
