AIJC 2025: Strengthening Cross-Border Investigative Reporting – in Johannesburg, South Africa

The African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC) is the continent’s largest annual gathering of investigative journalists, fostering skills development, professional exchange, and collaborative reporting networks. The 2025 edition convened over 500 participants in Johannesburg for three days of workshops, plenaries, story development sessions, and networking engagements focused on advancing public-interest journalism in Africa.

Hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand and supported by KAS Media Africa, this year’s programme addressed some of the most pressing issues facing the media sector today. Discussions and workshops explored climate and environmental accountability, digital and AI-driven investigations, resource extraction and critical minerals, media sustainability, human rights reporting, and collaborative newsroom models.

Keynote addresses were delivered by Ambassador Fatou Bensouda, High Commissioner of The Gambia to the United Kingdom, and Nanjala Nyabola, who spoke to the importance of narrative power, justice, and protecting democratic spaces. Hands-on investigative training was provided through sessions led by Bellingcat, alongside “Raise Your Flag” and “Story Time” platforms where journalists presented their own investigations, methodologies, and lessons learned.

As part of its commitment to strengthening cross-border collaboration, KAS Media Africa sponsored the attendance of journalists from Mauritius, Kenya, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and South Africa, as well as ten journalism students from across South Africa.

The conference also included a march marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, underscoring the ongoing risks faced by reporters across the continent. This collective act of solidarity affirmed that the protection and safety of journalists is essential to a free and democratic society.

AIJC 2025 reaffirmed that investigative journalism plays a vital role in promoting transparency, exposing corruption, advancing accountability, and strengthening democracy. KAS Media Africa remains committed to supporting high-quality journalism and the journalists who carry out this critical work across Africa.