African Voices Urged to Lead the Digital Future

The role of African journalists in shaping the continent’s digital future took centre stage at fraymedia Foundation's first Cape Town Rise & Shine Women in Media Breakfast Series hosted in partnership with Tekano Health Equity in South Africa.

The event, held at Tekano’s Woodstock offices, brought together journalists, communicators, and Tekano Fellows for a presentation by OpenUp Executive Director Gabriella Razzano on the theme “AI and Media: A View from Civic Technology.”

Welcoming guests, Tekano Chief Executive Officer Siphokazi Mthathi said the partnership was an opportunity to strengthen links between the media and the public health equity community.

fraymedia Foundation CEO Paula Fray said the breakfast series was designed to create space for reflection and collaboration at a time when the media industry is undergoing rapid transformation.

“As the media landscape changes dramatically, spaces like this are needed more than ever,” she said. “We need to pause, connect, and equip ourselves to report in ways that serve the public good.”

AI: Not a truth tool

In her keynote address, Gabriella Razzano warned that while artificial intelligence offers enormous potential for content creation and efficiency, it also poses serious risks for accuracy, representation, and accountability.

“AI is not a truth tool; it’s a content generation tool,” she said.

“If Africa continues to depend on AI systems built elsewhere, we risk becoming passive consumers instead of active producers in the digital economy.”

Razzano, who leads OpenUp, a civic technology organisation that promotes open data for social impact, said Africa’s artificial intelligence sector is hampered by inequality, limited local investment, and dependency on foreign technology.

According to her presentation, African startups received less than one percent of the $23.2 billion invested globally in AI during 2024, leaving the continent trailing far behind in developing home-grown systems.

She outlined the dangers of “AI slop” - the flood of poorly verified, machine-generated information now polluting the internet - and highlighted growing concerns over misinformation, copyright violations, and the environmental costs of large-scale AI use.

“Verification and context are now a journalist’s superpower,” she said.

Journalists urged to lead the digital transformation

Razzano called for media organisations to adopt internal AI policies, train staff to detect AI-generated misinformation, and take part in shaping national digital policy frameworks. She stressed that “AI governance is data governance plus,” urging journalists to lead their institutions in responsible data practices and audience engagement.

Building a community of practice

The Rise & Shine Women in Media Breakfast Series aims to connect women in media and allied sectors through dialogue on emerging issues affecting journalism and democracy. The Cape Town event marked the first in the series to be hosted outside Johannesburg.

As participants lingered after the session, it was clear that the conversation had only just begun.

“We are building more than understanding — we are building community,” said Fray. “And that is where transformation starts.”