The premier regional platform for independent journalism is gearing up for an impactful evolution.
The Google News Initiative (GNI) in Sub-Saharan Africa has officially joined the Southern Africa Media Summit (SAMS) 2026 to deliver an essential training track: "Tools for Content Creation: Streamlining workflows with AI and digital storytelling tools."
Hosted by Heart&Soul Broadcasting Services (HSTV) and Orbit International Youth Organisation, SAMS 2026 is scheduled for 15–16 September 2026.
Under the timely theme, "Re-engineering Trust, Business Sustainability and Safety for SADC Journalism in the AI Era," the summit aims to confront pressing contemporary challenges.
From the erosion of public trust via synthetic content to severe business model disruptions and emerging digital safety risks, SAMS 2026 serves as an urgent vehicle to operationalise the regional press action plan.
It provides a strategic, consolidated setting where journalists, tech innovators, and business leaders can collaborate on actionable, AI-proof solutions.
Unique Zimuto, the lead coordinator of the summit, expressed immense enthusiasm about bringing such high-impact partners on board.
She emphasised that this summit is designed to move far beyond mere academic discussion.
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Instead, it serves as a powerful mechanism that actively empowers and propels regional and local journalists to make a tangible, lasting impact through their daily work.
By embedding the GNI training into the summit’s framework, SADC media professionals will gain practical, hands-on skills to transition safely and sustainably into the next era of news production.
Organisations looking to align with this transformative regional initiative are invited to explore sponsorship and strategic alignment opportunities.
For partnership inquiries, contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
