Africa Business Media Innovators Forum to Convene Leaders Globally

The media, business, government, technology, and community leaders from across Africa, the United States and beyond will convene in Cape Town, South Africa, to participate in the annual Africa Business Media Innovators (ABMI) from October 30 to November 1, 2023.

The forum will be co-hosted by the Chief Executive Officer, Bloomberg Media M. Scott Havens; Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Bloomberg News, Matthew Winkler, and Corporate Philanthropy Middle East and Africa, Bloomberg, Erana Stennett.

This year’s convening returns to South Africa, which was the inaugural host of ABMI in 2015, resuming in person for the first time since 2019. This sixth edition of the forum follows successful gatherings in Senegal (2019), Zambia (2018), Ghana (2017), Kenya (2016), South Africa (2015) and the virtual ‘ABMI Chats’ series in 2020 and 2021.

According to the organisers of the forum, leaders at this year’s convening will examine innovative business solutions, re-shaping and contributing to the future of media and journalism both in Africa and globally.

The gathering will provide a unique, forward-looking platform for actionable dialogue and peer-learning as media leaders in Africa prepare for journalism in the digital age, they stated.

CEO, Bloomberg Media, Havens, said: “Against the backdrop of a fragmented global media landscape and challenges to business models at both a local and global level, this forum provides an opportunity for fresh approaches, ideas and solutions to build sustainable media business models in Africa and beyond.”

In his remark, Matthew Winkler, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Bloomberg News, said: “ABMI comes at a time of growing optimism around Africa’s economic potential, and aims to act as a platform for action to catalyse investment, growth, and development by contributing to the strengthening of business and financial reporting on the continent.

“This year’s convening focuses on the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of media in Africa. Key themes to be explored include the impact of new technologies, AI, and the future shape of work in newsrooms, along with a focus on the sustainability of legacy media across the continent against the backdrop of increased global competition. There will also be analysis of the current state of the media landscape in Africa and globally.”

Speakers at this year’s forum will include Tomiwa Aladekomo, CEO, Big Cabal;

Styli Charalambous, CEO, Daily Maverick; Paul Cheung, chief executive officer, The Centre for Public Integrity;

Thembisa Faukude, CEO, Mail and Guardian; Koyo Kouoh, executive director and chief curator, Zeitz MOCCAA;

Prof. Lesley Lokko, founder, African Futures Institute,

Nyimpini Mabunda, CEO, General Electric Southern Africa, and many others.

The annual event is a component of the Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA), a pan-African programme launched by Michael R. Bloomberg in 2014. The initiative is designed to advance business journalism in Africa and accelerate development of a globally competitive media and financial reporting industry.

The organisers said the programme would deliver cross-disciplinary educational programmes and mid-career fellowships to increase the number of highly trained business and financial journalists, as well as supports research to stimulate new media innovations.

“It is also designed to convene leaders to promote interactive dialogue and build strong relationships to enhance the quality of financial coverage and the availability of reliable and timely data on the continent,” the stated.