African media leaders call for new approaches to AI, revenue and ownership

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Sep 29 — African media leaders are calling for greater collaboration, stronger ownership of African intellectual property and new approaches to monetisation as artificial intelligence and changing audience behaviour reshape the continent’s media industry.

The call was made at Bloomberg’s 2026 Africa Business Media Innovators (ABMI) convening in Cape Town, which brought together journalists, media executives, creators and global partners to discuss how African media can convert its growing reach and influence into sustainable economic value.

The 10th edition of the convening focused on the future of an industry facing simultaneous pressures from changing audience habits, evolving revenue models and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence.

For media markets across East Africa, discussions centred on how newsrooms can build sustainable digital businesses, how publishers and creators can retain more value from African content, and how AI can be adopted without compromising editorial integrity, trust and accountability.

Three priorities for African media

Participants identified three broad priorities for the sector: turning the reach of African creative content into sustainable revenue, strengthening African ownership of intellectual property and cultural narratives, and harnessing AI responsibly while protecting independent journalism.

South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele, said digitisation was creating an opportunity for African voices to reach global audiences directly.

“Africa has been reported on by other people, but the digital age gives this continent something extraordinary. The ability to speak to the world without asking anybody for permission,” Gungubele said.

He said the ability for African ideas to reach global audiences without first seeking external validation represented a significant shift.

The discussions come against a backdrop of economic growth across the continent. Bloomberg data presented at the convening showed that growth in sub-Saharan Africa has accelerated since 2025 beyond that of emerging markets and developing economies combined.

Participants argued that African media should form part of this wider growth story, with sustainable and trusted journalism contributing to reliable information, accountability and informed economic decision-making.

Turning audiences into revenue

A major focus was how media organisations can turn growing digital audiences into sustainable businesses.

Participants called for deeper pan-African collaboration to share knowledge, strengthen investment cases and develop approaches that allow publishers and creators to capture greater value from their audiences and content.

Five priorities emerged from the discussions: using AI to support rather than replace editorial judgement; retaining greater ownership of African intellectual property and narratives; building payment and distribution infrastructure that converts reach into revenue; supporting Africa’s growing creative economy; and strengthening collaboration between traditional newsrooms and a new generation of content creators.

The emphasis on AI reflects a wider shift in the media industry, where organisations are exploring how emerging technologies can improve productivity while grappling with questions around governance, trust and the economics of adoption. Bloomberg’s recent coverage has similarly highlighted uncertainty around the eventual returns from AI investment even as companies continue to adopt the technology.

Collaboration seen as key

Erana Stennett, Bloomberg Corporate Philanthropy Lead for Africa and the Middle East, said collaboration would be critical to shaping the industry’s next chapter.

“Africa’s media’s future must be shaped not only by the forces acting upon it, but by African journalists, editors, media owners, entrepreneurs, creators, investors, business and public leaders working together,” she said.

The 2026 gathering marks a decade of Bloomberg convening media leaders from across Africa through ABMI.

The programme is part of the Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA), which focuses on advancing business journalism, strengthening media capacity and improving access to reliable data to support transparency, accountability and governance across the continent.

The discussions in Cape Town underscored the need for African media to address technology and commercial pressures while retaining greater control over the content, intellectual property and narratives generated on the continent.