MTN Group has launched the Pan-African Media Innovation Programme (MIP), a major initiative in partnership with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and The African Editors Forum (TAEF), to empower journalists across the continent.

Building on the success of its Nigerian predecessor, the programme is a direct response to the rising threats of fake news, coordinated disinformation, and fragile media business models, aiming to strengthen the resilience of Africa’s information ecosystem.

The programme offers a certified 12-week curriculum that combines online academic modules with an in-person immersion in Johannesburg, independently delivered by UJ and TAEF.

The first cohort of fellows will begin in 2026, marking a significant step towards ensuring Africa’s story is told by Africans with skill, integrity, and innovation.

It is designed to equip media practitioners with critical skills in digital transformation, media sustainability, ethics, law, entrepreneurship, and the impact of emerging technologies like AI, connecting academic learning to real-world practice through masterclasses and newsroom visits.

Speaking during the launch of the programme at MTN’s Innovation Centre in Johannesburg, MTN Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Nompilo Morafo, stated: “Africa’s digital future depends on both the infrastructure we build and the strength of the institutions that foster trust and accountability. Through the Pan-African MIP, we are investing in media capacity and innovation alongside respected academic and editorial partners.”

She emphasised that the initiative reflects MTN’s belief in the media’s transformative role, stating: “The time to act is now. To create a future we can all trust, we need media that is well-resourced, digitally skilled, and connected to communities across Africa. This is our contribution to ensuring that journalists are empowered to tell Africa’s story in ways that reflect its reality and its promise.”

Morafo also framed it as an investment in Africa’s youth, creating opportunities for innovation and job creation.

Representing the Group Chairman’s office, the Head of Office, Dominic Khumalo, stated that the Pan-African programme aims to redefine African media’s future.

He said: “MIP provides a platform for Africans to tell their own stories, in their voices, reflecting Africa’s vision.”

He emphasised that the launch reflects MTN’s broader commitment to sustainability, shared value, and long-term capacity development within the media sector, describing it as not just a learning experience but a platform for diplomacy, social power, and a model for trilateral cooperation.

Highlighting the successful Nigerian foundation, Khumalo stated, “MIP was launched in Nigeria by MTN Nigeria in partnership with the Pan Atlantic University. And it has done excellently well in equipping journalists to tell stories that reflect our innovations as Africans, our complexities as countries. That is why we have decided to take this program continentally.”

Prinola Govenden, Associate Professor at the University of Johannesburg, which developed the academic framework, outlined a vision to decolonise media education.

She said: “We are not just building a course, we are building a continental ecosystem of knowledge.

“Our vision is to ensure that African journalists are not only consumers of global narratives but producers of knowledge and stories that shape global understanding of our continent.”

The curriculum will integrate digital storytelling, fact-checking, and data journalism to prepare journalists to hold power accountable and speak authentically for their communities.

President of The African Editors Forum, Churchill Otieno, gave the initiative his strong backing, calling journalism a public good.

“At a time when fake news and disinformation threaten social cohesion and public trust, this programme is an affirmation that African media can rise to the challenge,” he said.

He urged journalists to seize the opportunity, reminding them that “Innovation is not just about technology, it is about courage and integrity. That is the true test of journalism.”

The launch at MTN’s Innovation Centre in Johannesburg, attended by alumni from Nigeria, symbolised the programme’s expansion from a national to a Pan-African mission.