MDDA partners with Google to empower community media through local-language digital skills training

Through this collaboration, the MDDA will support the rollout of a new digital skills training programme specifically designed for community media practitioners and delivered in South African local languages. The initiative responds directly to the evolving challenges faced by grassroots media in a rapidly digitising news environment.

Workshops will be held in person throughout January 2026 in various locations in provinces across the country, enabling publishers to engage meaningfully in their preferred language and within their communities.

The MDDA encourages community and small commercial publishers to register early, as capacity is limited. Interested participants are invited to follow the link below to register and select a session that best suits their location and preferred language:

Register here.

“This partnership reflects the MDDA’s commitment to positioning community media as credible, resilient and future-focused institutions in an increasingly digital media environment. By equipping publishers with digital skills, strategic tools and sector-specific knowledge, this targeted intervention addresses structural constraints, drives the digitalisation of the community media sector, and builds the digital capabilities required for long-term sustainability in a changing media landscape,” said Ms Shoeshoe Qhu, chief executive officer, MDDA.