Simon Allison on the Future of African Media

02/26/21 • 29 min

Rapid changes in technology are fundamentally changing how media is consumed across the world. Nowhere is that more true than Africa. In 2010, only 10% of Africans used the internet regularly--a figure that has quadrupled over the last decade. The rise of the mobile-first generation has contributed to a growth in digital media, especially in the region's booming megacities. But is all access good access? The popularity of platforms like WhatsApp may mean that news spreads like wildfire, but with it often comes the proliferation of false and hateful content. In South Africa, journalist Simon Allison is reclaiming the platform for good through The Continent, Africa's first WhatsApp-based newspaper produced in partnership with preeminent paper The Mail & Guardian. By using the same viral networks exploited by disseminators of disinformation, The Continent aims to counter the fake news on people’s phones with real news. In this episode, he discusses how the publication is pioneering a platform by Africans for Africans and how journalists on the ground are navigating a changing industry amidst COVID-19.

Host:
Isaac Kwaku Fokuo, Jr., Founder and Principal, Botho Emerging Markets Group

Host:
Isaac Kwaku Fokuo, Jr., Founder and Principal, Botho Emerging Markets Group

Previous Episode

Dr. Frannie Léautier on How Responsible Investment Could Fuel Africa's Post-Pandemic Growth

Many companies highlight their value and the way they support their customers and other stakeholders. COVID-19 has been the ultimate test of that commitment. In the new normal, corporate social responsibility has moved from the realm of philanthropy to a strategic consideration. With all systems put to the test, "winners take all" is giving way to stakeholder capitalism. Development finance expert Dr. Frannie Léautier, Senior Partner and CEO of Southbridge Investments has spent decades deploying capital to address the world's most challenging health, economic, and social circumstances. She discusses how she's putting that knowledge to use to pioneer a new framework of responsible investments to grow the next generation of African champions for the post-pandemic era.

Host:
Isaac Kwaku Fokuo, Jr., Founder and Principal, Botho Emerging Markets Group

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