The Fund's half-year progress report, covering January to June 2026, shows how 21 independent newsrooms are using R10.5-million in funding to strengthen their digital operations. Ten have launched their first-ever websites, more than 300 stories have been published by newsrooms starting their digital journeys and more than 65 journalists and media staff have received training, says the DNTF.

The DNTF says it supports independent and community news publishers serving areas often overlooked by mainstream media, including township and rural communities. Support is structured according to three levels of digital maturity: Build, for newsrooms establishing their first digital foundations; Grow, for publishers expanding an existing digital presence; and Engage, for more digitally mature publishers developing new revenue models.

The Leap From no Digital Presence to a First Platform

The DNTF says that some of the most significant change has come from publishers that began the year with little or no digital presence. Ten of the 11 newsrooms in the Build tier have now launched a website or digital platform.

Among them is the Kokstad Advertiser in KwaZulu-Natal. The 144-year-old newspaper had no digital presence in January but recorded monthly online reach of up to 354 000 people by March, says the DNTF.

"We've gone from being accessible only to local print subscribers to reaching over 32 000 followers and up to 354 000 people a month across South Africa," says Muhammad Luqman Jamal, DNTF Project Manager at The Kokstad Advertiser. "In small towns like Kokstad, local news is at real risk of disappearing as print audiences shrink. This project has given us a viable digital future and made sure trusted, hyperlocal journalism keeps reaching the Greater Kokstad community."

Other Build publishers are also gaining traction. Stokvel Media Hub, for example, grew its TikTok following from 344 to 5 945 in three months, adds the DNTF.

Existing Publishers Extend Their Reach

Newsrooms that entered the programme with an existing digital presence have focused on expanding their audiences and finding new ways to reach their communities. Highveld Chronicle in Mpumalanga increased its Facebook reach by 233%, from approximately 300 000 to more than one million people a month, says the DNTF.

Xenor Projects, which operates three community mastheads south of Johannesburg, reached a combined 1.7-million people digitally, adds the DNTF.

For the Fund's most digitally mature publishers, attention is also turning to revenue.

Digital news platform explain.co.za grew its website audience from approximately 3 800 users in January to more than 60 000 by May.

Local Journalism Driving Action 

The progress recorded during the first six months extends beyond audience growth, says the DNTF.

Eagle Eye News investigated complaints around hiring and maladministration at Burgersdorp Correctional Services. A community petition followed and Correctional Services began a renovation and infrastructure project that prioritised local youth employment.

IZini Advertising's reporting during severe flooding reinforced official safety warnings and prompted discussion around neglected drainage infrastructure. In KwaZulu-Natal, Inkundla Yezindaba's 'One Community, One Voice' campaign gave residents of Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu a platform to raise development concerns with local decision-makers, says the DNTF.

A voluntary survey of 87 readers provided a further indication of the role local news plays in communities. Of those surveyed, 72% said local news coverage had directly prompted them to take some form of action, while 71% said they mostly or completely trusted their main news source.

"These are early results, not the finish line. Community media is about being close to the people we serve, understanding their languages, challenges and the issues that matter to them," says Anetta Mangxaba, Co-Chair of DNTF. "The first cohort is showing what becomes possible when community publishers have the resources to strengthen this work digitally, reach wider audiences and create stronger platforms for their communities to be heard."

Building for Long-Term Sustainability 

The Fund says that it acknowedges that while the early audience growth is encouraging, turning digital reach into sustainable revenue takes time. Staff capacity, connectivity, financial systems and governance remain challenges for smaller community publishers and will be priorities during the second half of the year.

AIP and Google, the Fund's partners, shared the following reflections on Cohort 1's progress to date.

"It is still early days but there are signs of green shoots. There is energy and innovation in this sector. I'm excited. The Fund is providing the spark to get projects going," says Kate Skinner, Executive Director of AIP.

"The digital milestones and audience growth achieved by these 21 newsrooms in just six months are highly encouraging. Seeing township, rural, and hyperlocal newsrooms successfully launch digital platforms and diversify their revenue is a powerful testament to the strength of this programme," says Marianne Erasmus, Partnerships Lead: Middle East and Africa at Google News. "We look forward to seeing how their platforms and coverage will continue to grow in the months ahead."

A second cohort of 22 publishers, backed by R15.8-million, has now been onboarded, bringing the total number of independent newsrooms supported through the Fund's first two rounds to 43. Of these, 39 serve rural, township, peri-urban or informal settlement communities and 28 publish in at least one African language, says the DNTF.

The Digital News Transformation Fund is a partnership between Google and the Association of Independent Publishers, administered by Tshikululu Social Investments concludes that a  full end-of-year report will follow in the first quarter of 2027.

For more information, visit www.dntfund.org.za. You can also follow the DNTF on Facebook, LinkedIn, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor