STORIES OF CHANGE: Call for contributions

fraymedia Foundation invites women in media, journalism, and business who are breaking barriers, advancing their careers, growing impactful enterprises, and achieving meaningful milestones to share their stories with us.

We are seeking dynamic women who are driving innovation, leading change, strengthening ethical and solutions-driven storytelling, and contributing to Africa’s development and governance landscape.

This is you, if you are building, expanding, influencing, or transforming your space, we would love to profile your journey, celebrate your achievements, and amplify your impact across our platforms. Join us in showcasing the powerful stories of women who are shaping the future of media and business!

Please email bongiwe@fraymediafoundation.org and we will schedule an interview for your profile into Stories of Change.

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STORIES OF CHANGE - In Conversation with Sibongile Mabena

At 35, Sibongile Mabena is reshaping what community journalism looks like in Bronkhorstspruit. A journalist and founder of the Bronkhorstspruit Bulletin, Sibongile has worked across mainstream publications including Rekord, Daily Sun and The Tshwane Post. Today, she is also pursuing her LLB through the University of South Africa, further deepening her commitment to justice, accountability and community development.

Through the Bronkhorstspruit Bulletin, Sibongile Mabena is proving that community journalism is not small journalism. It is courageous journalism. It is accountable journalism. And most importantly, it is journalism rooted in the lived realities of the people it serves.

Her story reminds us that change often begins locally, with one determined woman, a platform, and the courage to tell the truth. Her journey is one of purpose, resilience and an unwavering belief that local stories matter.

From Law Dreams to Local Headlines

“I initially wanted to be a lawyer,” Sibongile recalls. “But my dad persuaded me to try journalism because I was a bookworm and forever glued to the news.”

Though hesitant at first, she found her calling while studying journalism at the Tshwane University of Technology. Years later, she has no regrets. Her career has spanned reporting and communications, but her heart has always leaned toward community media.

“Even though I’ve worked in mainstream, I always felt like my purpose is in community media,” she explains. That conviction led to the creation of the Bronkhorstspruit Bulletin; a platform dedicated to amplifying local voices in a town often defined by controversy.

As community newsrooms shrink and resources decline, stories are increasingly lost, underreported or ignored. Sibongile’s mission is clear, to highlight pressing issues, give residents ownership of their narratives, and hold institutions accountable.

Navigating Backlash in the Digital Age

Like many journalists, Sibongile has had to adapt to a rapidly evolving digital landscape. News is now gathered, processed and shared at unprecedented speed, and with that comes scrutiny.

“Digital media has changed how news are gathered, processed and disseminated. Sometimes when you report on certain issues, there’s backlash,” she says. “And I can’t control how people consume news.”

Reporting within one’s own community can be especially complex. Support can be divided, and criticism can feel personal. Yet Sibongile remains grounded.

“The comments get to me sometimes, but I’m not bothered much.”

Sibongile has also faced gendered assumptions about her leadership. “Many people think there’s a man behind the brand,” she notes; a misconception she regularly corrects. Her leadership presence as a woman, challenges lingering stereotypes in a media industry where, as she puts it, “the glass ceiling may be shattered, but the pieces are still there.”

One of her greatest frustrations is content theft on social media. Stories are republished without credit, limiting both recognition and revenue. Despite this, she continues to produce work with integrity and consistency.

Creating Impact, One Story at a Time

For Sibongile, impact is measured in voices amplified and doors opened.

“I’m proud that I gave people a platform to tell their own stories in their own voice, because if you don’t tell your story, someone else will.”

Each like, comment and follow is, to her, a sign of connection and trust. Community members have returned to say they gained sponsors or recognition after being featured. Those moments, she says, make the hard work worthwhile.

Her influence extends beyond her own platform. She supplies story leads to mainstream media and connects journalists with local sources. In doing so, she ensures that Bronkhorstspruit’s stories travel beyond its borders.

Leadership with Heart

Journalism, Sibongile believes, requires courage and compassion in equal measure.

“Journalism isn’t easy. It requires a big heart.”

In a shifting media landscape, she anchors herself in resilience. “I constantly have to remind myself that I can be moved but never shaken.”

Her leadership is not loud, it is steady. It is the kind that builds trust over time and refuses to retreat in the face of obstacles.

Advice to the Next Generation

To young African women entering media and media entrepreneurship, her message is direct:

“There will always be obstacles, but giving up is not an option. Fight for what you believe in, and things always work out.”

It is advice shaped by lived experience, by navigating criticism, gender bias and the daily grind of running a newsroom.

Inspired by Women Supporting Women

Sibongile first encountered the fraymedia Foundation through social media. A post about women in media participating in the EntreprenHER programme caught her attention.

She was particularly inspired by a woman from Mpumalanga who received funding support to help run her newsroom.

“I was intrigued at how the foundation goes out of its way to help women in media,” she says.

For Sibongile, such initiatives represent more than funding, in that they signal belief. Belief in women’s leadership. Belief in community media. Belief in sustainable change.