The South Africa Media Innovation Program (SAMIP) has closed its call for media innovators from five Southern African countries to apply to join its cohort of independent media initiatives.
SAMIP will admit up to five new projects, providing grants of USD5,000 to 15,000 per organisation, as well as capacity building and technical assistance.
SAMIP was launched in 2017 by MDIF to diversify, strengthen and support innovation among independent media initiatives through a mix of project funding, technical support and capacity building, and investment. Its initial focus was the South African media sector.
Now, after four years and 24 media initiatives, SAMIP is expanding its focus to include independent media in five new Southern African countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Independent media in these five countries were invited to apply to join its cohort of publishers by August 16, 2021.
SAMIP provides a space for new and established ventures to undertake a major strategic project for the growth or sustainability of their organisation, including developing new audiences and products, testing new strategies and exploring new revenue opportunities.
Since its launch in 2017, SAMIP has:
- Brought 24 media organizations into the program.
- Provided over $830,000 in grants.
- Delivered $330,000+ in capacity building.
- Invested over $1.24 million in program participants who brought new products to market.
- Seen our participants unlock over $2.25 million in external revenue.
“We have seen great innovations coming from our South African cohort these last few years. This regional expansion is an opportunity to extend this support to media innovators in new Southern African markets and foster collaborations and learning beyond borders,” says SAMIP Program Manager Bilal Randeree.
Applications closed on August 16, 2021.
About the South Africa Media Innovation Program (SAMIP)
SAMIP was established in 2017 by Media Development Investment Fund as a multi-year initiative to accelerate digital innovation and sustainability among select independent media outlets in South Africa. The program has worked with a total of 24 independent media companies, non-profits, and start-ups, providing a mix of grant funding, capacity building and targeted investment. For more information see samip.mdif.org or follow @samip_mdif on Twitter.