In March 2005, the UK Government’s Commission for Africa delivered a report entitled “Our
Common Interest”, which represented a significant attempt to understand and recommend
an action programme for Africa’s social and economic development. A key component of the
report focused on the importance of a strong media sector to support governance and
development in Africa, and called for greater attention to, and resources for, media sector
development as a result. The BBC World Service Trust and a number of international and
African partners have subsequently set out to help develop ideas for future Africa media
development initiatives.
In order to inform these efforts, the BBC World Service Trust – in collaboration with Rhodes
University (South Africa) and Ahmadu Bello University (Nigeria) – has undertaken an
extensive, pan-African research effort in 17 African countries, of which South Africa is one.
Data presented in this report is based on both secondary research gathered by local
researchers in South Africa and on extensive interviews conducted locally among key media
practitioners and leaders. It is presented here in three parts:
Media Sector Developments: an examination of developments in the media sector in
South Africa over the past five years;
Challenges for Future Media Development Activities: an analysis of the perspectives of a
range of key informants on media development challenges in South Africa;
Case Study: a case study from South Africa illustrating good practice in media
development.
The research was funded by a generous grant from the UK Government’s Department for
International Development. The research was conducted jointly by Claire Milne and Anne
Taylor and in association with the BBC World Service Trust Research and Learning Group.
The BBC World Service Trust is the independent international charity set up by the BBC,
which uses media to advance development. The Trust works to: raise awareness of
development issues among mass audiences and opinion formers; influence attitudes,
awareness and behaviour among poorer communities through a wide range of educational
programming on poverty-related topics; and build capacity in the media sector in developing
and transitional countries