Speakers | Africa Media Perspectives

Dr François Nel is Associate Professor of Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Central Lancashire, UK, where he directs the Journalism Innovation and Leadership Programme and leads the Media Innovation Studio group. He is also an associate director of the Institute for Creativity, Communities, and Culture. An award-winning researcher, consultant, and educator, François works closely with media organisations on strategies for sustainable innovation and leadership. He is the founding author of the Newsmedia Innovation Study and the World News Publishers Outlook report published annually by WAN-IFRA, the World Association of News Publishers.

Lebogang Maphada is a seasoned investment professional with over 15 years’ experience across investment banking, private equity, and asset management across Africa. She is currently the Senior Investment Officer for Africa and MENA at the Media Development Investment Fund, where she leads end-to-end investment execution and supports portfolio companies to scale both impact and financial returns. Lebogang has managed multi-million-dollar portfolios and held leadership roles in financial governance and oversight. Prior to MDIF, she held senior positions at Circle Capital Global, IPRO Investments, and Dalberg Global Advisors. Lebogang is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ariel Zirulnick is a Los Angeles-based journalist working at the intersection of editorial, audience, and product strategy. With experience ranging from reporting in Nairobi, Kenya, to leading digital strategy in public media, Ariel supports newsrooms through consulting, coaching, and research. She led the Membership Puzzle Project’s global fund for membership experimentation, is an instructor and coach with the News Product Alliance, and serves on the executive board of LION Publishers, which supports independent, local publishers in North America.

Will Davis is the Director of Election Analytics at The New York Times, leading a team that produces statistical models for The Needle, conducts the NYT/Siena College Poll, and analyses election trends. Since joining in 2015, Will has combined his editorial and technological expertise, previously working in the business section and creating tools to aid journalists, like a searchable archive of historic photographs. Before The Times, he oversaw digital news and elections coverage at The Bangor Daily News in Maine. Will is committed to upholding rigorous ethical standards, remaining impartial and not participating in political causes or affiliations.

Gerard Grobler is an experienced independent publisher and editor with a career spanning over 40 years in Southern African media. He co-founded the Overstrand Herald in Kleinmond, Western Cape, a widely read community newspaper in both print and digital formats. Gerard previously launched and published several local titles across the province, including Tempo and the Swartland and West Coast Herald, and also worked with Media24 and the SABC. He is committed to grassroots journalism that informs and empowers local communities.

Ivor Price is the co-founder of Food For Mzansi Group in South Africa, which has won 21 international media awards. He recently completed a Master’s degree in Journalism Innovation and Leadership from the University of Central Lancashire in the U.K. A journalist since 14, Ivor has held senior roles at Media24, including as a London-based foreign correspondent and publisher for leading community newspaper titles. An award-winning broadcaster and published author, he is passionate about innovation, independent media, and mentoring rising media stars across Africa. Ivor also serves as a judge for the Global Youth & New Media Prize.

Lwazi Maseko is a Programme Officer at JournalismAI, where she supports a variety of programmes, including the Academy for Small Newsrooms and the Fellowship Programme. She recently spearheaded the JournalismAI Festival, a global event that celebrated innovative applications of artificial intelligence in journalism and facilitated dialogue among industry leaders, practitioners, and researchers.

Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Lwazi focuses on advancing AI-driven tools and practices in journalism, enabling newsrooms to adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

Dr Kate Skinner is the Executive Director of the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) in South Africa. A renowned media freedom activist, researcher and policy analyst, she has spent the past 25 years working across unions, NGOs, government and the media industry to support a diverse, independent media sector. In 2008, she founded the Save Our SABC (SOS) campaign, which successfully advocated for greater independence of the SABC board and won key legal victories. A recipient of the Unesco World Press Freedom Fellowship, Kate holds an MA and PhD from Wits University, where she focused on media diversity and public service broadcasting. Prior to joining AIP in 2021, she served as executive director of the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF).

Peter Luhanga is a journalist and publisher based in the Western Cape, serving as a board member of the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP). He is the founder of Iliso LaBantu News, a community-focused publication that gives voice to residents in informal settlements, and Mother City News, which provides in-depth reporting on Cape Town’s municipal policies and politics. Passionate about humanitarian journalism, Peter is committed to telling ethical, impactful stories that address social injustices and amplify the voices of marginalised communities. His work is rooted in independent reporting free from corporate or political influence, and he remains a strong advocate for strengthening the media ecosystem through support for independent publishers.

Bilal Randeree is the Chief Program Officer at Media Development Investment Fund, where he leads global strategy and coordinates regional programme activities. With over 20 years of experience in finance, management, and editorial, Bilal has supported media companies across the globe in navigating complex business and operational challenges since joining MDIF in 2017 as the Regional Director for Africa. A Chartered Accountant (CPA equivalent), Bilal has worked with KPMG, Al Jazeera, and played a key role in scaling a digital media startup. He serves as a Board Member and Treasurer for Creative Commons.

Kobus Louwrens is the Co-Founder and Strategy Director of Food For Mzansi Group in South Africa. An award-winning journalist and author, Kobus has a rich background in publishing, having led magazines and community newspapers in both South Africa and East Africa. He has developed digital marketing strategies for numerous agricultural, wine, and tourism brands. Holding an MBA from Stellenbosch University, Kobus’s work focuses on creating innovative business solutions for social challenges, and he splits his time between the U.S. and South Africa.

Anetta Mangxaba is the Chairperson of the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) in South Africa and the founder of Dizindaba Media, which publishes Dizindaba Iphephandaba lesiXhosa, a weekly isiXhosa-language newspaper established to bridge the information gap for isiXhosa-speaking communities. With a background in project management, marketing, and media, Anetta has more than a decade of hands-on experience in the industry, from distribution to design. Her work is deeply rooted in community empowerment and the revival of indigenous language and literacy. Based in the Western Cape, she also teaches isiXhosa on Radio KC and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Theology Honours.

Luciana Cardoso is a Media Business Advisor at the Media Development Investment Fund, based in Brazil. With experience at Estadão, Grupo Bandeirantes, IBM, and Quartz, she specialises in project management, product development, and audience engagement. Luciana emphasises the importance of audience-centric strategies and cross-functional collaboration to create sustainable media products. Passionate about supporting global media, she leverages her expertise to help organisations thrive while maintaining editorial integrity.

Khadija Patel is a renowned South African investigative journalist and global media leader, currently serving as Head of Programmes at the International Fund for Public Interest Media. A former editor-in-chief of the Mail & Guardian, she led the publication through a transformative period, pioneering its digital subscription model and earning multiple journalism awards. Her work has appeared in international outlets including Al Jazeera, The Guardian, BBC, and Quartz. Recognised by former U.S. President Barack Obama for her courageous journalism, she is also a research associate at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research and a sought-after speaker on media viability, decoloniality, and journalism’s role in democracy.

Jennifer Mairo is a seasoned project manager and media professional with nearly two decades of cross-sector experience in leadership, organisational transformation, and team productivity. Currently COO of Joy, Inc. in Nigeria, she previously led training and curriculum design at RAS Studios, mentoring emerging filmmakers across 20 U.S. states. Jennifer is also the founder of The Pamela Erere Foundation and the author of two books. She holds an M.Sc. in Public Administration and Policy from Penn State and is certified in organisational development and HR management.

Patricia Torres-Burd is the Managing Director of Media Advisory Services at the Media Development Investment Fund, where she leverages over two decades of experience to help media organisations improve business sustainability and audience performance. Her work centres on digital innovation and operational strategy, supporting news outlets across the globe. Prior to MDIF, she served as vice president at UBC International and held leadership roles at Telemundo, SBS Europe, and CME, launching and strengthening media operations in the U.S. and Europe.

Innocent Eteng is the founder of Prime Progress, Nigeria’s leading solutions journalism platform. His team documents how people are responding to social problems in Nigeria and other parts of Africa, and how others are defying stereotypes and breaking barriers to find self-expression and happiness. Before starting Prime Progress in 2021, Innocent worked as an independent journalist for global media, including The Christian Science Monitor (US), Yes! Magazine (US), TRT World (Turkey), Bhekisisa (South Africa), Women’s Media Centre (US), and Religion Unplugged (US). He has been part of several global journalism fellowships. Between 2019 and 2023, for example, Innocent was a journalist fellow with the Center for Religion and Civic Culture, a research centre at the University of Southern California. He worked alongside 30 other global journalists and researchers to implement the center’s #EngagedSpirituality Project, which studied the role of faith and spirituality in motivating people to solve social problems in the world.

Dr Meli M Ncube holds a PhD in Media Studies from the University of Cape Town (UCT). He has been researching the influence of social media on democracy in Africa with a particular focus on Zimbabwe since 2014. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stellenbosch University’s Department of Journalism where he conducts research on aspects related to disinformation, its impact on journalism and trust in the media. He explores ways in which investigative journalism may counter disinformation in African contexts.

As Executive Director, Vuyo provides leadership of Radio Workshop, overseeing the organisation’s strategic growth, fundraising and sustainability, as well as thought leadership as a pan-African civil society organisation. Before joining Radio Workshop, Vuyo worked at Shared Value Africa, and has previously worked at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, also in fundraising and communications leadership roles. Vuyo cut her teeth in publishing, and over the years evolved to joining civil society and leveraging the power of media and communications to drive change across the continent.

Styli Charalambous co-founded the Daily Maverick, in 2009, while navigating industry disruption and the country’s turbulent politics. As founding CEO and publisher, Styli helped grow Daily Maverick from a 5-person start-up to 100 full-time staff, playing an important role in influencing the South African political landscape and national discourse. He is passionate about leadership and innovation focusing on new revenue models, product, technology and membership in news. In 2021, he was awarded South Africa’s top journalism award for courage and integrity for his shaping role in Daily Maverick’s success.

Houssem Hajlaoui is a Tunisian activist and tech architect based in Kuala Lumpur. He is the co-founder of Inkyfada, a Tunisian digital magazine and data journalism platform, and tech lead at Nawaat, an independent Tunisian media collective with a 20-year worth of investigative journalism and human right advocacy content. He is also Head of Technology at Sustainable Square, a leading sustainability consulting firm based in Dubai. At both Nawaat and Sustainable Square, he is leading teams developing AI-powered tools that are pushing the horizons of both sustainability and media.

Dhashen is Radio Workshop’s senior producer. He is currently working on an audio documentary series about how South Africa’s energy transition can be just. His past stories have won awards from the International Documentary Association, Signal Awards and One World Media. He has contributed to The New York Times, NPR, BBC, VOA, Foreign Policy and Vanity Fair, and won fellowships from the United Nations, Bloomberg, Earth Journalism Network, Netherlands Fellowship Program, and the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Program.

Adam has over 27 years experience in journalism and media. He is the founder of Area of Effect Consulting and newshost.africa, which provide a range of specialist technical, business and advisory services to designed to help independent publishers grow.

Andiswa Matikinca is an environmental journalist and Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism associate. She joined Oxpeckers in September 2018 to manage the extractives digital tool, #MineAlert, and produce several journalistic investigations based on data sourced and curated by #MineAlert. She has also worked on several Oxpeckers projects, tracking, monitoring and investigating different environmental issues, as well as the status of renewable energy projects and the Just Energy Transition in South Africa with #PowerTracker.
She has also worked as a researcher and junior reporter with Viewfinder Accountability Journalism, an accountability journalism unit that exposes abuses of power which impact on the public’s interest.

Andiswa’s work investigating South Africa’s Energy and Mining industries earned her the Vodacom Regional Young Journalist Award for the KwaZulu-Natal region in 2019. In 2023, she was part of the Oxpeckers #PowerTracker team whose work on tracking the Just Energy Transition and renewable energy projects in South Africa was awarded in the Green Finance category at the Mail & Guardian Greening the Future Awards. She is currently pursuing a postgraduate diploma in Sustainable Development at Stellenbosch University.

Wale Lawal is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Republic, an Africa-focused digital media platform. Previously, he led Africa-focused research at Harvard Business School and was a management consultant at KPMG. Wale holds degrees from the University of Bath, the London School of Economics and Oxford University.

Zoé Titus is a Namibian media freedom advocate with nearly three decades of experience advancing independent journalism, access to information, and social justice in Africa. She is Executive Director of the NMT Media Foundation and currently chairs both the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) and the African Platform on Access to Information (APAI). Through her leadership in APAI, Zoé was instrumental in the campaign that led to the United Nations’ recognition of September 28 as the International Day for Universal Access to Information. Her work bridges national and international spheres, supporting legal reform, inclusive media policy, and the sustainability of public interest media across the Global South.

Rokaya Kamel is the AI & Technical Content Coordinator at Raseef22. In this role, she spearheads SEO, digital engagement, and the seamless integration of AI technologies into editorial processes. She’s instrumental in developing groundbreaking projects such as “All Ears”, an AI-powered audio experience that converts articles into accessible, engaging summaries, and “Ask Aunty”, a chatbot offering clear, non-judgmental information on sexual and reproductive health in Arabic.

Rokaya also works closely with editorial, technical, and management teams to optimize both front-end and back-end user experiences, all while maintaining rigorous ethical standards in AI implementation. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication – Journalism, Rokaya is deeply dedicated to fostering ethical innovation at the crossroads of media and technology.

Marianne Thamm is a veteran investigative journalist, columnist and Associate Editor of The Daily Maverick. She is also an awarded author and wit and looks at what went wrong in South Africa and how we survived it still standing, albeit a bit tatty around the edges.

Rob Rose is a co-founder of Currency News, and the former editor of Financial Mail. A four-time financial journalist of the year, he is also the author of Steinheist, which delved into South Africa’s largest corporate collapse, Steinhoff, and the author of The Grand Scam, about how Barry Tannenbaum conned the country’s corporate elite.