Launched in 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Africa Business Media Innovators (ABMI), an initiative of Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa, brings together global leaders to examine the continent’s rapidly evolving business journalism and media landscape. In 2026, ABMI marks more than a decade of sustained commitment to advancing Africa’s media industry. As we reflect on the progress made and look ahead, this convening provides an opportunity to take stock of the industry’s growth and engage on the issues shaping its future—including the impact of pan-African and global emerging technologies, the role of artificial intelligence, breakthroughs in digital media, subscription and revenue models, and public policies that underpin investment in telecommunications and infrastructure.
Across
Africa, media owners and operators face common and extraordinary challenges
both locally and globally. These include the acceleration to digital and remote
online technologies, the advancement of AI tools, the increasing rise of global
competitors, particularly social media, and the loss of advertising revenue
driving the need for new business models. These challenges are coupled with
dramatic changes in the structure of African and global economies. The Africa
Business Media Innovators (ABMI) is a featured component of the Bloomberg Media
Initiative Africa, launched by Michael R. Bloomberg in Johannesburg in 2014.
This initiative aims to support a flourishing media sector in Africa to
contribute to the continent’s economic development. Focused on Africa but with
an international perspective, ABMI provides a unique, forward-looking platform
for actionable dialogue and learning for industry leaders in Africa to navigate
the most consequential developments of a changing media landscape. Since its
first gathering in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2015, ABMI has been held in
various locations including Lake Naivasha, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; Livingstone,
Zambia; Cape Town, South Africa; Dakar, Senegal; and virtually during the
pandemic in 2020 and 2022. These gatherings convene media executives,
cross-industry CEOs, public policy makers, technology founders, business
innovators, investors, and civil society leaders from around the world.
Together, they seek new opportunities, innovative strategies, and solutions that
will power journalism and media in Africa and globally.