Sa And Daily Maverick Dominate Wan-ifra Digital Awards Africa 2025 Finalists

Source: © 123rf 123rf The Digital Media Awards Africa 2025 finalists have been announced, with SA and Daily Maverick dominating the list

Netwerk24 has three finalists and News24 two. Food for Mzansi and The Outlier have one finalist each.

Nigeria has four finalists, Tunisia three and Kenya two, with Uganda, Tanzania and Ghana with one finalist each.

The finalists are outstanding projects that have excelled in journalism, digital products and monetisation initiatives.

Once again, the region proves its commitment to creating inspiring projects that engage and inform its audiences.

Finalists

(Finalists are listed alphabetically by company name.)

Best Data Visualisation

Project: 2024 Elections DashboardCompany: Daily MaverickCountry: South Africa

Project: Visual Investigation | Final Footsteps: The Kirsten Kluyts murderCompany: News24Country: South Africa

Project: The Road to a Just Energy TransitionCompany: The OutlierCountry: South Africa

Best fact-checking project

Project: Palesa’s Brave DiscoveryCompany: Food For Mzansi GroupCountry: South Africa

Project: FactSpace DisinfoLabCompany: Ghana FactCountry: Ghana

Project: Elections 2024: News24 debunks disinformation and fact-checks misinformationCompany: News24Country: South Africa

Best in audience engagement

Project: Live Journalism Webinar PlatformCompany: Daily MaverickCountry: South Africa

Project: WhatsappCompany: Jeune Afrique Media GroupCountry: Tunisia

Project: The User Needs Impact Project 360Company: Pulse AfricaCountry: Nigeria

Best newsletter

Project: Elections ’24Company: Daily MaverickCountry: South Africa

Project: Le BriefCompany: Jeune Afrique Media GroupCountry: Tunisia

Best use of video

Project: Smart Video Strategy for Business News Publication on TikTokCompany: Business Insider AfricaCountry: Nigeria

Project: How 750m in Cape Town’s city centre points to South Africa’s expansive extortion problemCompany: Daily MaverickCountry: South Africa

Project: Short form documentary | ”I don’t want to lose myself,” Carol de Swardt’s assisted suicideCompany: Netwerk24Country: South Africa

Best digital subscription drive

Project: Daily Maverick ShutdownCompany: Daily MaverickCountry: South Africa

Project: Kook & Geniet | Netwerk24 adds iconic cooking brand as a digital-firstCompany: Netwerk24Country: South Africa

Project: The New Vision reader revenue projectCompany: New Vision, Vision GroupCountry: Uganda

Best innovative digital project

Project: Manifesto Mayhem!Company: Daily MaverickCountry: South Africa

Project: People Daily News AppCompany: Mediamax Network LimitedCountry: Kenya

Project: MwanaClick: A Digital Revolution in News and Content AccessCompany: Mwananchi Communications LimitedCountry: Tanzania

Project: MultiVerseCompany: Radio Africa GroupCountry: Kenya

Best use of AI in the newsroom

Project: Hausa AI News: amplifying indigenous voices with technologyCompany: Legit.ngCountry: Nigeria

Project: The world in a nutshellCompany: Netwerk24Country: South Africa

Best relaunch of digital platforms

Project: Relaunch of Africa Business+Company: Jeune Afrique Media GroupCountry: Tunisia

Project: Cross Fire: A YouTube Sports Fan Engagement OfferingCompany: Pulse Sports NigeriaCountry: Nigeria

Whilst not all competing initiatives made it to the final, the exceptional quality of their people and work remains undeniable.

Jury

The jury includes:

Adedeji Adekunle, Program director, Nigeria Media Innovation Program, NigeriaCherilyn Ireton, Executive director World Editors Forum, Wan-Ifra, UKCorinne Podger, Director, Digital Skills Agency, AustraliaDenis Jjuuko, Communication and visibility consultant, Prime Time Communications, UgandaIvor Price, Co-founder & editor-in-chief, Food For Mzansi Group, South AfricaJoseph Adeyeye, Managing director and editor-in-chief, Punch, NigeriaKhalil A. Cassimally, Head of audience Insights, The Conversation, MauritiusKim Svendsen, Membership director, Wan-Ifra, DenmarkLindsey Jones, Strategic advisor, publishing consultant author, UKMadeleine White, Editor-in-chief of The Audiencers (English)Nick Tjaardstra, Head of digital sales (Subscriptions), Kurier, AustriaPaul McNally, Founder, Develop AI, South AfricaPenelope Nankunda, Content manager, digital, Vision Group, UgandaQueen Mosarwe, Co-founder & editor, The Argus Online, BotswanaSusan Makore, Director, advisory and insights, Women in NewsValérie Arnould, Deputy director, Digital Revenue Network, Wan-Ifra, FranceTshepo Tshabalala, Project manager & team lead, The London School of Economics and Political Science, UKBrian Veseling, Senior editor, Wan-Ifra, Germany