Bloomberg Africa Business Innovators Forum Convenes Leaders in Cape Town to Strengthen Financial Reporting and Media Innovations
Cape Town, South Africa is set to host the Annual Africa Media Innovators (ABMI) Forum, organized by Bloomberg, from October 30 to November 1, 2023. The forum aims to strengthen business and financial reporting across Africa while promoting interactive dialogue and building strong diplomatic relations in the field of financial coverage and data availability.
The event will bring together a diverse range of participants, including media groups, government agencies, technology experts, and business community leaders from across Africa. Co-hosted by M. Scott Havens, CEO of Bloomberg Media, Matthew Winkler, editor-in-chief Emeritus of Bloomberg News, and Erana Stennett, Corporate Philanthropy Middle East and Africa at Bloomberg, the forum will focus on innovative business solutions shaping the future of media and journalism in Africa and globally. This year’s convening marks the return of the event to South Africa, which hosted the inaugural ABMI in 2015.
The ABMI Forum seeks to address the challenges and opportunities facing media and journalism in the digital age. With a fragmented global media landscape and evolving business models, the forum provides a platform for fresh approaches, ideas, and solutions to create sustainable media business models not only in Africa but also beyond.
The forum will explore various key themes, including the impact of new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) on the media landscape, the future of work in newsrooms, and the sustainability of legacy media amid increased global competition. The current state of the media industry in Africa and globally will also come under analysis.
The Annual Africa Media Innovators Forum is part of the Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA), a program launched by Michael R. Bloomberg in 2014. BMIA aims to advance business journalism in Africa, accelerate the development of a globally competitive media and financial reporting industry, and stimulate new media innovations through cross-disciplinary educational programs and mid-career fellowships. By convening leaders in the field, the initiative aims to foster dialogue and build relationships that enhance the quality of financial coverage and the availability of reliable and timely data on the continent.
With a focus on actionable dialogue and peer-learning, the ABMI Forum plays a vital role in preparing media leaders in Africa to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age. This year’s gathering is particularly significant, given the growing optimism around Africa’s economic potential. It seeks to catalyze investment, growth, and development by strengthening business and financial reporting across the continent.
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the role of media in delivering accurate and timely information has never been more crucial. Through the Annual Africa Media Innovators Forum, Bloomberg aims to contribute to the evolution of a vibrant and sustainable media landscape in Africa, one that can effectively shape the way business and financial news is reported, and facilitate informed decision-making across the continent.
