Major Funding Follows Competition Commission Probe
Google, along with
YouTube, has unveiled a groundbreaking support package of **R688 million** for South African media organisations. This five-year commitment was announced in the wake of an inquiry by the Competition Commission into the impact of global tech platforms on the sustainability of local news outlets[2][3][5].
Key Elements of the Support Plan
The package aims to empower the country's media ecosystem in multiple ways, including:
-
Investment through the Digital News Transformation Fund and ongoing initiatives such as the Google News Showcase.
-
Financial support for South African newsrooms to innovate with AI-driven solutions.
-
Foundational training for journalists and newsrooms, with particular attention to South Africa’s rich linguistic diversity and vernacular languages[1].
-
Introduction of global features like Preferred Sources in Search, enabling users to personalise their news feeds by selecting and following preferred local news sites[1].
Background: Responding to a Changing News Industry
South African media outlets have faced mounting financial pressures as advertising and readership shift to online platforms. The Competition Commission’s investigation sought to address the growing concerns regarding the fair compensation of local publishers as global players like Google and YouTube benefit from their content[2][3].
In response, Google has agreed to invest over $40 million (R688 million) to help local newsrooms adapt and thrive in the digital era[4].
Implications for South African Journalism
This landmark investment represents one of the largest funding commitments to the South African media sector. News organizations are expected to benefit from:
-
Improved digital capacity and sustainability.
-
New opportunities for audience engagement through advanced digital tools and AI technologies.
-
Expanded training and support for journalists across all eleven official languages.
-
-
