The Google News Initiative (GNI), in partnership with the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) and the Daily Maverick, has officially launched its local language pilot programme at the Iziko Museum in Cape Town.

The launch event, attended by the Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Kenneth Morolong, marks the start of a nationwide provincial roadshow designed to bridge the digital divide for community media and vernacular language publishers across South Africa. This initiative aligns with the National Development Plan’s (NDP) goals, emphasising inclusive digital transformation to ensure no community is left behind in the digital age.

The heartbeat of our communities

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Minister Kenneth Morolong emphasised the critical role of local media in preserving culture and democracy.

“Community media speaks in the languages of our neighbourhoods. It tells our local stories, celebrates our cultures and gives voice to our shared hopes. It is not just a part of the community. It is the heartbeat of the community. By growing it, we grow stronger together,” said Morolong.

The minister highlighted the urgency of this intervention, noting that the sector has been under enormous economic pressure. “The aftermath of the devastating impact of Covid-19, coupled with the sustained decline in circulation and advertising revenue, has resulted in several community media houses either closing, amalgamating, or shaving jobs.”

Praising the collaboration, Morolong added: “This programme is a vital investment in our collective voice, and in the future of our democracy itself. I wish to applaud Google for its active, engaged and steadfast participation in this process. They were present at the beginning, when the path was unclear, and they remain major partners at the very end of this complex journey.”

Bridging divides

The pilot programme is a response to the systemic hurdles faced by community news publishers operating in underrepresented vernacular languages, such as limited resources and language barriers in mainstream technical training.

Shaik Imraan Subrathie, Member of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, noted that technology must bridge divides.

“This programme is designed to empower local newsrooms with the digital tools they need to scale production in indigenous languages, reach new audiences through optimised digital distribution, and build sustainable business models that protect the future of local reporting,” said Subrathie. “We know that information is only truly accessible if it is available in the languages people speak, think and dream in. In South Africa, the digital divide isn’t just about data or devices, it’s about content.”

Commitment to local voices

The training, delivered by the Daily Maverick, focuses on three critical pillars: Business development, audience insights, and editorial efficiency.

To ensure business sustainability, the programme moves beyond traditional advertising to explore diverse revenue streams like content licensing and event sponsorships, while emphasising an audience-centric model for long-term financial resilience. Audience growth is driven by data-led strategies, teaching newsrooms to use tools like Google Trends and the “Trending Now” feed to identify local keyword patterns and optimise digital performance. Finally, the integration of AI tools introduces journalists to practical applications of Gemini and NotebookLM, providing hands-on training in prompting and image generation to enhance editorial productivity without compromising the essential human role in reporting.

Philly Moilwa, MDDA Board Member, said: “Community and small media remain the most immediate and trusted source of information for millions of South Africans, particularly the rural, peri-urban and marginalised communities. The programme recognises that sustainability, digital capability and editorial integrity must advance together if community media is to grow and adapt.”

Marianne Erasmus, Google News Partner Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa, said local journalism is a cornerstone of strong, informed communities. “Ensuring it thrives in a digital world is a responsibility we take seriously at Google.

“This initiative goes beyond technology; it’s about keeping community newsrooms viable, rebuilding audience trust, and helping local publishers develop resilient business models.”

She expressed pride in launching the workshop series which will provide training in five South African languages. “We want to scale our Google News Initiative publisher training – not by bringing everyone to a city and delivering it in English, but by taking the training to communities and delivering it in the languages of the local communities,” said Erasmus. 

National Roadshow Schedule

Following today’s Cape Town launch, the GNI roadshow will travel across the country to deliver in-person training:

19 January: Cape Town (isiXhosa)

20 January: Paarl (Afrikaans)

22 January: East London (isiXhosa)

26 January: Durban (isiZulu)

29 January: Johannesburg (English)

31 January: Polokwane (Sepedi)