A major new regional initiative has been launched to strengthen media freedom and challenge restrictive journalism laws across Southern Africa, following the momentum of the Southern Africa Media Summit (SAMS) 2025.
A strategic partnership has been formed between Heart and Soul Broadcasting Services, the Centre for Human Rights (University of Pretoria), and the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) to spearhead a project titled Reforming restrictive media laws in Southern Africa: Evidence, advocacy and strategic litigation pathways.
The initiative responds to growing concerns that laws relating to public order, cybercrime, and national security are increasingly being used to limit freedom of expression, restrict access to information, and intimidate journalists in parts of the Sadc region.
The collaboration combines academic research, legal advocacy, and media influence to turn evidence into action.
The Centre for Human Rights will lead in-depth analysis of restrictive legal frameworks and propose reform pathways, while IHRDA will support broader human rights advocacy and engagement with African human rights systems.
Heart and Soul Broadcasting Services will amplify the findings through media platforms, ensuring public engagement and policy visibility.
Key outputs of the project will include a regional legal mapping of media laws, identification of strategic litigation opportunities, and the development of an advocacy toolkit for policymakers, parliamentarians, and civil society actors.
The initiative will culminate in the presentation of findings at the Second Southern Africa Media Summit in 2026.
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Partners say the goal is to transform academic research into practical reform and ensure that media freedom debates move from conference rooms into legislative and judicial action across the region.
The Centre for Human Rights said the collaboration will help translate evidence into “practical advocacy tools” that can drive meaningful legal change and strengthen protections for journalists and free expression across Southern Africa.
