MTN Launches 12-Week Media Innovation Programme to Equip African Journalists for Digital Age

MTN Group , in partnership with the University of Johannesburg (UJ)  and the African Editors Forum (TAEF),  has launched the Pan-African Media Innovation Programme (MIP), a continental initiative aimed at strengthening the future of journalism across Africa.

The programme is designed to equip journalists and media professionals with the skills, tools, and networks needed to navigate a rapidly evolving information and information technology landscape. Building on the success of the MTN Nigeria Media Innovation Programme, the initiative is now being expanded across MTN’s wider African footprint to support media transformation on a continental scale.

MIP offers a certified 12-week curriculum that combines online academic learning with immersive, in-person engagement in Johannesburg. Participants, known as fellows, explore key areas such as digital transformation, media sustainability, ethics and law, entrepreneurship, and the impact of emerging technologies on Africa’s information ecosystems.

The programme also includes industry masterclasses, newsroom visits, and innovation-focused projects that ensure practical application of learning. These experiences are designed to strengthen professional capacity while fostering innovation within newsrooms.

As the media industry faces increasing challenges such as misinformation, declining business models, and reduced public trust, the initiative seeks to build resilience within the sector. It aligns with broader continental goals, including the African Union’s Agenda 2063 vision of promoting informed, democratic, and knowledge-driven societies across Africa.