14:00 - 14:10
(Cape Town time)
Welcome and introductions
In this introduction to the INMA Africa Media Revenue Summit, we confront platform power, traffic decline, AI disruption, and rising costs — sharing practical lessons and strategies to build diversified, reader-centric businesses across Africa.
Zubeidah Kananu, Summit Moderator, Broadcast Journalist, and President, Kenya Editors Guild, Kenya
Media revenue models across the world are being reshaped by platform dominance, search traffic decline, AI partnerships, and rising cost pressures. In this opening keynote, Earl Wilkinson provides a global reality check — separating hype from what is actually working — and outlines the strategic shifts media companies must prioritise now to remain commercially viable. This session connects global trends to local African market realities, highlighting where African publishers can adapt, leapfrog, or sidestep the waves of change. 
East Africa’s largest media markets are navigating declining traditional revenues while building new digital and partnership-led income streams. In this regional keynote, James Sogoti shares hard-earned commercial lessons from across four markets, focusing on how Nation Media Group is restructuring its sales approach, pricing, and partnerships to drive sustainable growth. This session offers real commercial insight, not theory — directly relevant to publishers operating across fragmented and price-sensitive markets. 
In highly competitive digital advertising environments, traffic alone does not guarantee revenue. Basil Fortuin breaks down how Media24 has repositioned its digital assets for earnings, focusing on smarter product design, audience value, and advertiser outcomes. This session goes beyond “digital growth” to show how publishers can translate digital scale into commercial yield. 
Community trust is one of Africa’s strongest — and most under-monetised — media assets. In this session, Temwa Mhango explains how Radio Tigabane has built a financially sustainable radio platform by anchoring its revenue strategy in deep community relationships, partnerships, and shared values. This is a powerful case study on how mission-driven media can still be commercially smart, particularly for radio and community-based outlets in Africa.
Advertisers are increasingly demanding proof of impact, not just reach. Abigail Wilmot shares how news brands can reposition themselves as high-performance advertising environments, drawing on her experience across print and digital monetisation, sales operations, and revenue strategy. This session speaks directly to publishers struggling to defend ad budgets in the face of newer platforms and performance marketing.
Television remains influential in Africa, but its revenue model is rapidly evolving. Simon Ejembi shares how Channels TV is expanding beyond traditional broadcast advertising through digital video, YouTube monetisation, and strategic partnerships — while protecting credibility and audience trust. This session is especially relevant for broadcasters and video-led publishers navigating the shift from linear to multi-platform revenue.