06 September 2009
Highway Africa, the single largest gathering of journalists from across the African continent, has launched in South Africa this weekend.
Highway_Africa_Delegates
Highway Africa delegates partaking in a workshop

The conference is based in Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape province, and hosted by the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University.

The theme of the three day conference is Reporting Africa: 2010, Development & Democracy and will see key players from across the African media landscape coming together to debate the impact journalists will have in the promotion of Africa through the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The conference will also look at how African media has reported on development and democracy, and how ICTs can be used to enhance democracy and development in the African continent.

The conference was aptly launched by MTN at a reception held in the Nelson Mandela Stadium, in the neighbouring city of Port Elizabeth. This stadium is one of the seven built specifically for the FIFA World Cup tournament.

Besides the focus on the 2010 FIFA World Cup the conference also affords journalists and media personalities from the continent the rare opportunity to meet and discuss partnerships and mutually beneficial collaborations.

"We have to have quality print media, quality radio, quality television and quality online media to be able to rise above 'the culture of mediocrity' - as a leading African journalist calls it," said Chris Kabwato, Director of Highway Africa, in a statement.

"The World Cup is only months away now. How different will be our framing of the narrative of this soccer spectacle from that of the global media."

The 2009 Highway Africa Conference marks the 13 anniversary of this gathering. The conference organisers have high hopes for this years event, with a record attendance of 735 persons in 2008.

"The annual Highway Africa Conference is the flagship event of our University, and we are proud of it's continuous growth and evolution," said Dr Saleem Badat, Vice Chancellor of Rhodes University, in a statement.

The conference also plays host to the Highway Africa annual Awards, aiming to recognise excellence in ICT journalism in Africa. The awards acknowledge those companies and individuals that aim to reach the widest possible audience through the innovative use of ICT technology.

"Africa exists because we relate. Africa exists because we stand on its earth and our identities are contingent on that. Africa deserves great story-tellers and chroniclers," said Kabwato.

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