The first NIMCA meeting in Johannesburg takes place from 13 to 16 September 2026, when the Press Council of South Africa hosts the first Meeting and second General Annual Meeting of the Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa (NIMCA).
The gathering brings together independent and self-regulatory media bodies from across Africa to strengthen media accountability, good governance, sustainability and collaboration on the continent, among other objectives.
NIMCA meeting in Johannesburg focuses on accountability
This year's meeting theme is: "Strengthening independent media regulation in Africa by entrenching accountability, consolidating governance and sustainability, and advancing collective action."
Delegates will discuss the state of independent media oversight, accountability and editorial governance in Africa and consider practical ways to strengthen institutions that protect media ethics and journalistic standards.
Technological and economic pressure on newsrooms
The meeting will also focus on technological, economic and geopolitical changes affecting the media landscape. This includes the opportunities and risks of new technology, economic pressure on newsrooms and the challenges media council structures themselves are facing.
Significant milestone for the network
According to NIMCA, the first formal Meeting is an important milestone for the organisation and will be used to consolidate governance processes, strengthen accountability mechanisms and build long-term collaboration among members.
Dr Phathiswa Magopeni, NIMCA chairperson, says independent and self-regulatory media council structures in Africa are currently being tested on several fronts.
Disinformation, threats to information integrity, a lack of accountability by platforms and economic pressure on newsrooms are affecting media systems across the continent, she said.
According to Magopeni, stronger governance, sustainability and collective action are necessary to ensure credible media accountability, especially in countries where media freedom and freedom of expression are under pressure.
The Press Council of South Africa says the Johannesburg gathering will bring together delegates, partners and stakeholders at a critical time for the development of independent media regulation in Africa.
What is NIMCA and the Press Council?
NIMCA is a continental network of independent press and media councils committed to self-regulation, media ethics, accountability and freedom of expression.
The Press Council of South Africa is an independent co-regulatory body that promotes journalistic integrity and ethical standards through, among other things, a public complaints, adjudication and appeals process.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
