Applications open for the 2026 Phangisile Mtshali Grant Award

The fraymedia Foundation has launched its 2026 call for young South African women journalists ready to turn an idea into a purpose-driven communications business. Applications close on 1 October 2026.

18 August 2026

The fraymedia Foundation has opened applications for the 2026 Phangisile Mtshali Grant Award for Transformational PR, offering R50,000 and ongoing mentorship to help a young South African woman journalist establish a purpose-driven public relations business.

Launched during the Foundation’s webinar, Why Health Communication Matters More Than Ever, the 2026 call particularly encourages ventures working in health, development and social impact. Applicants do not need to have a registered business or a fully developed company: a strong idea, a clear sense of purpose and a credible plan for growth are enough to apply.

Opportunity: Phangisile Mtshali Grant Award for Transformational PR 2026

Deadline: 1 October 2026

How to apply: Submit your Application here

More info: Full details available here

The grant award honours the late Phangisile Mtshali, whose career brought together journalism, strategic communication, health advocacy and programme leadership.

Opening the webinar, fraymedia Foundation CEO, Paula Fray described Mtshali as a friend, mentor, confidante and honest guide whose influence shaped her understanding of leadership, communication and service.

“She created such space for other women to lead, and to build, and to believe that their work made a difference,” Fray said.

“That is why the award bearing her name supports South African women journalists who want to build purpose-driven communication businesses.”

Fray said Mtshali understood that communication was not an accessory to social change. It helped people make informed choices, ensured that communities were heard and turned public purpose into practical action.

Webinar moderator Kanya Ndaki highlighted Mtshali’s instinct for moving conversations from diagnosis to action.

“She didn’t like to dwell on problems,” Ndaki said. “She would always tease out: how are you going to fix this? What’s your solution? We’re not going to wallow in this.”

In her keynote address, Shout-It-Now Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ntombifikile Mtshali said the grant carried that legacy forward by converting remembrance into practical opportunity.

“It turns a memory into something material, which is mentorship, networks, support, and the possibility of building a sustainable communications enterprise,” she said.

“The award does not simply say Phangisile lived. It asks: what should continue because Phangisile lived?”

She urged women with early-stage ideas to put themselves forward. “Don’t wait for the idea to become perfect before deciding it deserves investment,” she said.

“In this space, we need new voices, we need new models and new ways of building trust.”

Dr Lerato Mtshali, scientist and science communicator, said Phangisile Mtshali’s influence lay in her ability to connect science, storytelling and communities. “She spent more than 30 years of her life making sure that science reached the people who needed it the most,” she said.

“She was someone who understood the importance of a story, understood the importance of hearing the voices and sharing the ideas and the voices from people who would otherwise not have the platform.”

That message was echoed by 2025 Grant recipient Lilita Gcwabe, who said she applied while her health communications venture, The Health Plug, was still largely an idea supported by research documents and open browser tabs.

“If you have an idea, then you should apply. If you have something that you want to grow, you should apply,” Gcwabe said. Winning the grant, she added, “gave me the confidence to know that my idea is important, that my plans in health communications are important as well.”

A year later, The Health Plug has launched its website and completed its first campaign with TB Proof. The project used multilingual, multimedia content, including TikTok videos following a day in the life of a young tuberculosis survivor, to strengthen the organisation’s engagement with young people.

Gcwabe said the grant’s value went beyond funding. The Foundation’s mentorship and access to other mentors helped her navigate the less visible work of starting and sustaining a business. “Many times when I thought I was failing, the mentorship from Paula, but also from the Foundation, linking us to mentors, [and] the sessions that we had, were all leading up to the success of the business,” she said.

The 2026 grant may be used for expenses including business registration and compliance, marketing and branding, technology, office software, website development and other start-up needs. The successful applicant will be expected to launch a start-up campaign, report on progress and participate in quarterly monitoring and evaluation sessions with the fraymedia Foundation.

Applications include a personal statement explaining the applicant’s move from journalism into public relations, the strengths her journalism background brings to that transition and how the award would advance her goals. Applicants must also outline the vision, intended impact and sustainability plan for the proposed business, and provide a recommendation letter and referee.

Health-focused proposals are strongly encouraged, but applications may address other areas in which communication can contribute to social change and tell the South African story.

Applications for the 2026 Phangisile Mtshali Grant Award for Transformational PR close on 1 October 2026.