By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Several stakeholders in the media industry in Africa are gathering to explore issues and challenges impacting the future of media on the continent under the overarching theme, ‘Africa 2025: The Media Landscape of the Future’.
The participants are meeting for the fourth Bloomberg Africa Business Media Innovators forum taking place in Livingstone, Zambia.
The summit is hosting more than 90 international media, technology, business and government and community leaders from 21 countries.
Convened by Bloomberg Philanthropies and hosted by Matthew Winkler, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Bloomberg News and Scott Havens, Global Head of Digital and Media Distribution, Bloomberg Media, this year’s summit will focus on key themes impacting the evolving global media landscape, including business models of the future, how to finance a rapidly changing industry and media’s opportunities and obstacles in The Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Participants will also hear from a group of young disruptors on their experiences and predictions about the future of African media.
“As African economies continue to grow and play an increasing role in the global economy, the need for robust, accurate business journalism and financial analysis is more important than ever before,” Matthew Winkler, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Bloomberg News, said. “Every year, this summit leads to dynamic and engaging discussions about the current state and future of African media; I am looking forward to participating in these conversations over the coming days.”
Speakers at this year’s convening include media owners, senior editors, investors, business leaders, government officials and community leaders from countries across the continent and beyond, including: Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, U.S.A. and Zambia. Honorable Dora Siliya, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Services, Zambia, opened Monday’s program with a welcome address.
“We are pleased to host Bloomberg’s Africa Business Media Innovators summit here in Zambia,” said Honorable Dora Siliya, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Services, Zambia. “As Zambian and African economies continue to evolve and grow more complex, it is key that journalism across the continent develops accordingly. I believe in the transformative power of the media and I am confident that the conversations taking place today and tomorrow will help us continue to drive growth.”
The latest edition of ABMI follows successful gatherings in Ghana (2017), Kenya (2016) and South Africa (2015), where international media owners and operators, investors and government officials addressed the importance of a robust financial journalism sector and the value of data and data-related technologies to drive international investment and economic growth.
The annual event series is a component of the Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA), a pan-African program launched by Michael R. Bloomberg to strengthen media capacity, promote innovation in the sector and improve access to high-quality data and information on the continent.
Some of the speakers at the forum include Yinka Adegoke, Africa Editor, Quartz; Frank Aigbogun, CEO, Business Day Media Ltd; Bunmi Akinyemiju, CEO, Venture Garden Group (VGG); Addis Alemayehou, Founder and CEO, 251 Communications and Co-founder, KANA TV.
Others are Uchenna Jennifer (Uche) Pedro, Founder, BellaNaija; Mamadou Gouro Sidibe, Entrepreneur and Founder, Lenali; Honorable Dora Siliya, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Services, Zambia; Leo Stiegeler, General Manager, Swiss Ringier Africa AG; Wiebke Toussaint, Co-founder and Director, Engineers Without Borders South Africa, Data Scientist at the University of Cape Town; Sheel Tyle, Founder and CEO, Amplo; Lesley Donna Williams, CEO, Tshimologong Precinct; Matthew Winkler, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus and Co-Founder, Bloomberg News; and Kabiru Yusuf, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Media Trust Limited.
