WAN-IFRA’s Digital Media Africa conference announced in Nairobi on September 18-19

WAN-IFRA announced the return of its Digital Media Africa annual conference in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 18-19, 2024. The in-person event will bring together 150 participants and speakers from Africa and Europe at the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications.

The focus will be on accelerating digital transformation for African news publishers, securing and growing digital revenue, addressing challenges and opportunities in digital revenue generation, and exploring the role of AI in African newsrooms. The conference will also cover strategies for engaging young audiences, building public trust through inclusive leadership, and navigating the evolving advertising landscape.

The event comes at a particularly challenging moment for the continent’s newspaper publishers. “With mounting newsprint and distribution cost pressures, along with print publications downsizing or closing, it is urgent for African publishers to speed up their digital transformation programs. This is necessary to establish a strong foundation for generating digital revenue and to fulfil their crucial role in society,” said Vincent Peyrègne, CEO of WAN-IFRA. “We believe this event will serve as a catalyst for goodwill and bring new and encouraging opportunities to our African colleagues through increased international collaboration,” added Peyrègne.

The conference programme is designed to share practical case studies and insights into enhancing audience engagement and revenue growth, including the use of new technologies.

Digital Media Africa is made possible thanks to the support of WAN-IFRA’s local partners and sponsors. WAN-IFRA would like to express appreciation for the support of the following individuals and organizations:

• Professor Nancy Booker, Dean of the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications (AKU-GSMC), and her team, who host the conference;
• Programme advisor Churchill Otieno, Executive Director of the Eastern Africa Editors Society (EAES);
• The WAN-IFRA Women in News team executives Jane Godia, Director Africa, Susan Makore, Director Insights and Global Advisory and Melanie Walker, Executive Director Media Development;
• Google, and in particular, Matt Cooke, Marianne Erasmus, and Chantal Ferraro, for their support and eagerness to organize Digital Media Africa’s return in person!

Deodatus Balile, President of The Eastern Africa Editors Society, commented: “This collaboration brings together a powerful network of media leaders and innovators to explore the critical issues shaping Africa’s digital media landscape. We believe this conference will be a valuable platform for knowledge sharing, fostering collaboration, and driving positive change within the region’s ever-evolving media industry.”

For further inquiries on the programme and sponsoring opportunities, please contact:

Valérie Arnould, Deputy Director Digital revenue Network at WAN-IFRA | [email protected].
Sumithra Hönig, Deputy Director, Global Sales | [email protected].