Education

The Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) has officially launched its 2025/26 grant funding application process at a community media outreach workshop in Mahikeng, North West. The event was spearheaded by Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Hon. Kenny Morolong (MP), who emphasized the importance of inclusive media development in rural and underserved areas. Hosted at the Mmabatho Palms Hotel from 2–4 June 2025, the three-day workshop brought together a wide range of community media stakeholders, including board members, station managers, and editors. The focus was on equipping participants with essential skills in governance, leadership, ethics, and media management, tools deemed vital for the long-term sustainability of community media. A National Effort to Strengthen Community Media The event also marked the start of the MDDA’s Pre-Grant Call Training, aimed at preparing eligible community and small commercial media entities for the upcoming funding cycle. The official call for applications will be open from 04 July to 01 August 2025. Deputy Minister Morolong, delivering the keynote address, underscored the need to support innovation in historically marginalised areas. “Let us reject the idea that innovation only happens in Sandton or Stellenbosch. Innovation belongs in the streets of Schweizer-Reneke, the schools of Lichtenburg, and the studios of Mmabatho,” he...