Mdlongwa, F. Letlhaku, M. (ed.). 2010.  Harnessing Africa's Digital Future. 

This anthology of essays, stories and testimonies by heads of Africa’s leading media vividly brings out the ubiquitous nature, power and influence of emerging digital media channels on our lives and how Africa is tapping into these channels to better serve their markets and be better informed by them.

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Bloom, K.  Mavhungu, J. 2009. Successful “New Media” business models: Case studies of independent commercial print media in South Africa

This research explores business models and convergence strategies of sustainable independent print media in South Africa. It examines the way traditional media houses sustain their business activities and maintain professional and quality reporting standards whilst developing new profitable products to meet consumer needs. A significant shift in the media industry in the form of new media and online platforms necessitates traditional media around the world to design new product offerings that meet market needs and, ensures that media houses keep up with competition. South Africa is not unique in this regard; multimedia – online publications and social networking platforms are growing.

Convergence is a critical factor in South African newsrooms, and as mentioned by media management scholars like Robert Picard, it also presents a significant challenge and an opportunity in the way the newspaper industry operates. Human resource management, staffing and skilling of employees are affected, as well as market access to technology, market size, economies of scale and the economic health of the country and the business. Media convergence is an economic strategy in which communications companies seek financial benefit by making the various media properties they own work together. The SPI undertook case study research of three print media houses in 2009 and produced a snapshot of media convergence experiences from South Africa.

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Mavhungu, J. O’Shea, C. 2009. Formative Target Audience Research: A Case Study of Five Community Radio Stations in South Africa

This research project is borne out of the necessity to make listenership research accessible to community media. Listenership and audience research is customarily an expensive exercise and thus out of reach for small community radio stations.  Most also lack the time and expertise to do audience research in a systematic, rigorous way.

The Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership (SPI) conducted the research with five community radio stations, with the aim of demystifying and encouraging greater use of formative target audience research.  The SPI envisaged assisting radio stations to translate research findings into action. The insights of the research process and final findings can be used for marketing purposes to advertisers as well as making informed programming decisions.

The research showcases the experiences and lessons of the five community radio stations that attempted to conduct listenership research and those that have not. It features their challenges and successes – in this way the SPI hopes other community radio stations will learn from these experiences and that this report will inform their choices and decisions when considering research. 

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Tracey, T., Mavhungu, J., Du Toit, P., Mdlongwa, F. 2009. Training Needs Assessment of Independent Newspaper Managers in South Africa

The following report details the results of an investigation conducted by the Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership (SPI), funded by the MDDA, into the business training needs of independent community newspapers in South Africa. The research is intended to equip managers to run successful and sustainable newspaper businesses within the competitive and time consuming context of the community print sector. Through exploring what business skills are needed in the sector - gathering the opinions of the independent community newspaper sector in general, experienced managers of newspapers, and managers of newspapers that have recently started, an overall picture of these training needs can be constructed.

Further opinions from trainers of media practitioners are intended to assist in understanding the business training needs of the sector and how best training can be delivered. Managers are often unable to leave the business for extended periods to receive training, and this is a need that must be considered in structuring courses.

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Rau, A., Du Toit, P., Kabeta, J., Mavhungu, J. 2008. Media Leadership: Strategies from Southern Africa

In the SADC region, the capacity to train and groom promising leadership and management candidates is limited.  One way to address this is for experienced leaders to pool and share their knowledge.  To this end the Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership (SPI) and the Southern African Institute for Media Entrepreneurship Development (SAIMED) co-hosted a Leadership Lekgotla -- a space where leaders meet to share experiences, discuss important issues and gather solutions. 

The three-day event -- funded by the Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa (NIZA) -- was held in Johannesburg in August 2007. Twenty delegates from print and radio sectors in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe explored themes such as leadership styles, managing people, editorial ethics and problems they encounter and how they resolve them. 

Information gathered from focus groups, two-person teams, storytelling, brainstorming, key speakers and plenary sessions are captured in a book now available throughout the region. The aim is to draw on the collective experiences of people with a proven track record in media leadership, and assemble a range of principles, ideas, techniques and strategies to guide, assist and, importantly, inspire Africa’s current and budding media leaders.

International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX). 2007. Media Sustainability Index (MSI).

An initiative of the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), the Media Sustainability Index provides research-based information on the state of the media throughout the African continent. 

Leading media specialists in each country were recruited to rate the strength and sustainability of media in their countries according to multiple indicators within five broad objectives. These objectives measure the degree of free speech protection; professional journalism; plurality of news sources; business management; and supporting institutions. The indicators and objectives reflect criteria widely accepted as constituting a healthy, effective, economically sound and independent media industry.

The SPI’s contribution to this valuable project was to conduct the research in Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.

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