Wednesday, 25 March 2026

Defending and innovating independent media in Africa

08:30 - 09:30 Registration & welcome coffee:

Kickstart #AMP2026 with a warm welcome, coffee, and light refreshments. Connect with media professionals from around the world and start building relationships that last beyond the event.

09:30 - 09:40 Opening remarks

09:45 - 10:15: Fireside chat: African conflicts through the press lens

Reporting from conflict zones demands courage, integrity, and precision. Tesfalem Waldyes, founder of Ethiopian Insider and 2025 World Press Freedom Hero, speaks with Ryan Powell from the International Press Institute about how journalists across Africa navigate danger and ethical dilemmas to deliver stories that inform, challenge, and resonate with global audiences.

  • Tesfalem Waldyes – Founder, Ethiopian Insider | 2025 World Press Freedom Hero Ethiopia
  • Ryan Powell – Head of Innovation and Media Business, International Press Institute USA

10:20 - 10:55: Panel: Unlocking capital for media sustainability

As media across Africa face a funding crisis, this panel moves from problem to solutions. It explores practical ways to unlock capital and bring banks, DFIs, investors, and impact-makers together to commit real resources. The goal is simple but bold: turn concern about media sustainability into measurable change.

  • Harlan Mandel – CEO, Media Development Investment Fund USA
  • Dr Clare Cook – Head of Journalism and Media Viability, International Media Support Denmark

11:00 - 11:25: Coffee & networking break:

Recharge with light refreshments and informal networking, exchanging insights and ideas with fellow journalists, editors, and media innovators.

11:30 - 11:55: Panel: Thriving under pressure – African media in action

Resilience is more than a buzzword. Join media leaders from across Africa as they share how media businesses and newsrooms are navigating political pressure, economic uncertainty, and technological change to stay sustainable, grow, and thrive.

  • Argaw Ashine – Managing Editor and Founder, Wazema Radio, Ethiopia 
  • Representative from NAMIP, Nigeria
  • Representative from Amplify SA, South Africa

12:00 - 12:55: Lightning rounds: 5 ideas shaping African media

Five sharp ideas, ten minutes each. Facilitated by Dara Ajala, Programme Manager for West and East Africa at the Media Development Investment Fund, this fast-paced session shares bold experiments, smart tools, and practical lessons from across African media that businesses can apply immediately.

  • How to launch a book from your media platform: Jaco Maritz, founder of How we made it in Africa, shares the story behind his book and e-book project, exploring how media professionals can turn content and audience into a revenue opportunity. He’ll explain how the idea came about, how it works, and how his team leveraged their brand and readership to bring it to life.
  • How to reach new audiences via mobile apps: Slindile Khanyile, founder of Umbele, South Africa’s pioneering isiZulu-language financial magazine, shares how they expand reach and engagement by distributing content on the MTN Ayoba app. Learn how they leverage multi-platform strategies to bring financial news and literacy to audiences often excluded by mainstream media.
  • How to make news accessible on low-data mobile: Mungo Soggot, CEO of Scrolla in South Africa, shares how his team created Scrolla Data Lite, a mobile-first platform that delivers news in English and isiZulu while using 90% less data than the full site. Learn how they leveraged innovation and smart design to reach underserved readers.
  • How to build a global audience on Whatsapp: The Continent, an award-winning African weekly newspaper, was designed to be shared on Whatsapp. Simon Allison, co-founder, will share how they grew a community of 21 000 subscribers across 140 countries, the strategies behind mobile-first content, and practical tips for using Whatsapp to scale globally.
  • Representative from NAMIP, Nigeria
  • Dara Ajala – Programme Manager for West and East Africa, Media Development Investment Fund, Nigeria Nigeria
  • Jaco Maritz – Founder, How We Made It In Africa, South Africa
  • Slindile Khanyile – CEO at Likhanyile Group | Editor of Umbele & Umkhanyisi, South Africa
  • Mungo Soggot – CEO, Scrolla, South Africa
  • Simon Allison – Co-founder, The Continent, South Africa
  • Representative from NAMIP, Nigeria

13:00 - 13:55 Networking lunch:

Connect, collaborate, and share experiences with peers over a delicious lunch. Build partnerships that could become the backbone of future investigative projects.

14:00 - 14:40: Media entrepreneurship: Monetising journalism in Africa

Some of the continent’s most inspiring media entrepreneurs come together to share their stories. What worked, what didn’t, and the ideas that are shaping the future of journalism in Africa. The panel offers practical insights and lessons that newsrooms can apply to grow, engage audiences, and explore new revenue opportunities.

  • Moipone Malefane – Founder, Vutivi Business News, South Africa
  • Millie Bulbeck – Chief of Staff, Tech Safari, Kenya Kenya
  • Rob Rose – Co-founder, Currency, South Africa
  • Representative from NAMIP, Nigeria

15:30 - 15:55: Coffee break:

Recharge and network informally with peers, mentors, and collaborators.

16:00 - 17:00: Option 1: Data journalism that makes a difference

Trust in journalism is under attack, but data can be a powerful tool to cut through the noise. In this hands-on workshop, The Outlier shows how journalists can use numbers, evidence, and insights to tell stories that matter, spark action, and give communities the tools to understand the world around them.

  • Laura Grant – Managing Editor, The Outlier | Managing Partner, Media Hack Collective, South Africa
  • Alastair Otter – Co-founder, Media Hack Collective, South Africa

16:00 - 17:00: Reporting climate and environmental stories in Afric

Africa faces severe climate and environmental challenges, from droughts to floods and desertification. This workshop guides journalists on how to report these issues clearly and accurately, helping audiences understand the impacts and sparking informed conversation.

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19:30: #AMP26 welcome function

The #AMP26 welcome function takes place on the evening of day one, offering attendees a moment to pause after a full day of discussion and debate. It is a space to connect, reflect and network with peers, while continuing conversations sparked during the day and building momentum for the second day of the conference.

Thursday, 26 March 2026

Investigative collaboration, technology, and audience trust

08:30 - 09:30: Registration & welcome coffee:

Kickstart day 2 of #AMP2026 with a warm welcome, coffee, and light refreshments.

09:30 - 09:40: Panel: The rise (and risks) of Africa’s news creators

From podcasters to comedians, Africa’s digital creators are transforming how people engage with news and politics. This panel, facilitated by Dr Marenet Jordaan, Head of the Journalism Department at Stellenbosch University, explores the trends shaping the continent’s creator economy, the opportunities for influence, and the risks to trust and credibility in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

  • Dr Marenet Jordaan – Head of the Journalism Department, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
  • Qaanitah Hunter – Founder, Debrief Labs, South Africa
  • Stephen Horn – Founder, Politically Aweh, South Africa
  • Jaxx Amahle – Conent creator and media personality, South Africa
  • Representative from NAMIP, Nigeria

09:45 - 10:25: Panel: Podcasting as a business – Turning voices into revenue

Podcasts are not just for fun, they are becoming real businesses. In this session, we will hear from creators who have turned their shows into income through sponsorships, advertising, and live events, and explore practical ways to grow an audience and make podcasting pay.

  • Dan Aceda – Founder and CEO, SemaBOX Africa, Kenya
  • Selly Thiam – Founder and CEO, AQ Studios, Kenya
  • Roland Perold – CEO, Volume Podcasts, South Africa
  • Dr Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh – Founder, SMWX, South Africa
  • Representative from NAMIP, Nigeria

10:30 - 11:10: Panel: Newsletters that work – Turning words into a business

Newsletters are quietly reshaping the way people consume content and connect with media across Africa. A well-crafted newsletter can build a loyal community, spark meaningful conversations, and even generate real income. We explore how media enterprises are turning ideas into engaging editions, attracting subscribers who keep coming back, and finding practical ways to make their newsletters profitable through sponsorships, partnerships, and subscription models.

  • Caleb Maru – Founder and CEO, TechSafari, Kenya
  • Representative from NAMIP, Nigeria

11:15 - 11:40: Coffee & networking break:

Recharge and network informally with peers, mentors, and collaborators.

11:45 - 12:25: Fireside chat: Reporting from conflict – Journalism and Gaza

The crisis in Gaza and across Palestine is not just a distant story. It is a global issue that resonates with newsrooms across Africa. Khadija Patel, Director and Journalist-in-Residence at the International Fund for Public Interest Media, will guide a discussion on how journalists can responsibly use their voices, strategies media outlets have used to report under extreme pressure, and the safety and ethical challenges reporters face. The panel will also highlight practical lessons for covering conflict with integrity, ensuring audiences understand both the human impact and the wider geopolitical context.

  • Khadija Patel – Director & Journalist-in-Residence, International Fund for Public Interest Media
  • Yusuf Omar – Co-founder and CEO, Seen.TV
  • Dina Aboughazala – Founder and CEO, Egab, Egypt

12:30 - 13:25 Lunch

13:30 - 14:10: Panel: What’s next for community journalism?

As advertising revenues dry up and print titles disappear, community and grassroots media are facing an existential reckoning. This panel confronts the hard realities behind shrinking newsrooms and closed doors, while asking what comes next and whether there is still room for hope. From new business models to digital innovation and deeper community trust, the discussion explores how local journalism can adapt, survive and re-imagine its role in a changing media landscape.

  • Ben Burger – Executive Director, Forum of Community Journalists, South Africa
  • Anetta Mangxaba – Publisher of Dizindaba Media, South Africa

14:15 - 14:44: Codeforafrica????

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19:00: Optional screening of Ahmad Alive

Presented by Seen.TV, Ahmad Alive is a gripping documentary that follows the journey of Ahmad, a travel vlogger from Gaza, as he navigates life, creativity, and storytelling under extraordinary circumstances. Through his lens, the film explores the challenges of reporting and sharing stories from a conflict zone, the resilience of everyday life, and the power of digital media to connect audiences around the world.