Bloomberg's Annual Africa Business Media Innovators Forum 2023 set for Cape Town

Source: © 123rf 123rf The annual Africa Business Media Innovators (ABMI) Forum 2023 will take place from 30 October to 1 November in Cape Town

Local and international leaders will examine innovative business solutions re-shaping and contributing to the future of media and journalism both in Africa and globally.

The Forum is co-hosted by M. Scott Havens, CEO, Bloomberg Media and Matthew Winkler, editor-in-chief Emeritus, Bloomberg News, and Erana Stennett, corporate philanthropy Middle East and Africa, Bloomberg.

“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 building sustainable media business models in Africa and beyond,” says Havens.

“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,” adds Winkler.

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 an analysis of the current state of the media landscape in Africa and globally.

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Speakers at this year’s forum include:

• Tomiwa Aladekomo, CEO, Big Cabal
  
• Styli Charalambous, CEO, Daily Maverick
  
• Paul Cheung, chief executive officer, The Center for Public Integrity
  
• Thembisa Faukude, CEO, Mail & Guardian
  
• Koyo Kouoh, executive director, and chief curator, Zeitz MOCCAA
  
• Prof Lesley Lokko, founder, African Futures Institute
  
• Nyimpini Mabunda, CEO, General Electric Southern Africa
  
• Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, managing director, Africa and the Middle East, Spotify
  
• Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa, co-founder and CEO, Rappler
  
• Pamella Sittoni, executive editor and managing editor, The Nation Media Group
  
• Monde Twala, senior vice president & GM Paramount Africa & Lead BET International, Paramount International

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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 the development of a globally competitive media and financial reporting industry.

The programme delivers 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.

This sixth edition of the forum follows successful gatherings in Senegal (2019), Zambia (2018), Ghana (2017), Kenya (2016), South Africa (2015), the inaugural host of ABMI in 2015.

With virtual ‘ABMI Chats’ series held in 2020 and 2021, this year sees the return of the Forum in person since 2019.