The African Editors Forum (TAEF) will convene the Africa Editors Congress (AEC) 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, on February 23 and 24, 2026. This year’s edition, to be hosted by the Eastern Africa Editors Society (EAES), will focus on issues like declining revenue, tech platform dominance, and rebuilding trust in African media, with a key theme of “Reclaiming Value, Rebuilding Trust, Redefining Sustainability”.
The Congress is Pan-African, independent, and outcomes-focused, aimed at aligning leadership around practical commitments that strengthen Africa’s media ecosystem and advance the continent’s voice globally.
The Congress seeks to address critical issues facing African media and develop strategies for its future economic viability and public relevance, producing a Continental Statement on Public-Interest Media Regulation.
The Congress will bring together about 250 media leaders to tackle challenges from digital advertising to fair compensation models for journalism, aiming to produce a significant statement on public-interest media regulation.
The Africa Editors Congress is a convening of Africa’s leading editors, media executives, policymakers, and global partners. It offers a rare, closed-door space for frank, high-level dialogue on the future of journalism and media leadership at a time of profound political, economic, and technological change.
Designed as a working forum rather than a talk shop, the Congress gathers decision-makers who shape editorial direction, influence public policy, and steward public trust. Conversations are candid, evidence-led, and grounded in real newsroom and market realities.
Topics to be discussed include economic challenges for African journalism (revenue, digital ads); dominance of global tech platforms; restoring public trust in media; fair compensation models for journalists, using South Africa’s case as a model; and regulation to support press freedom and public interest.
