Southern Africa has in its history never faced such crossroads in the wake of the USA’s global funding cuts and dealing with high stakes that are borne of elections and rapid technological changes.
The headwinds are further compounded by the debilitating effects of international conflict, impacts of climate change, and the fragmentation of progressive forces amid the rise of right-wing politics and a media ecosystem under existential threat.
Indeed, the Southern African media landscape is continuously evolving, driven by triggers at global and continental levels, as well as within its member states.
Most civic organisations in Southern Africa are small players. These small-to-medium-sized players are the propellers of media development in the region and the global south.
The Freedom of Expression Climate survey of Spaces of Solidarity focuses on the trends, challenges and issues that media and civil society actors in Southern Africa prioritise.
The results show a climate for journalism and civil society that is under pressure. We need to ensure these small players remain relevant and also strengthen members of the Spaces of Solidarity network within the ecosystem in order to defend freedom in Southern Africa.
