Africa’s leading gathering of media leaders, journalists, creators, policymakers and innovators, the Africa Media Festival (AMF), will return to Nairobi on 25–26 February 2026.
The event will bring together voices from across the continent at a critical moment for media freedom, sustainability and innovation.
Organised by Baraza Media Lab, AMF 2026 is designed as a solutions-driven forum aimed at confronting the realities reshaping journalism and storytelling in Africa.
These include declining revenues, political pressure, the growing influence of artificial intelligence and the rapid expansion of the creator economy.
Held under the theme “Resilient Storytelling: Reimagining Media Freedom,” the festival will focus on practical strategies to ensure African media remains independent, resilient and relevant within a rapidly evolving global information ecosystem.
“AMF is not a ceremonial conference. It is a space where Africa’s media leaders come together to confront hard truths, test ideas, and co-create solutions that can sustain journalism and storytelling for the next generation,” said Martie Mtange, curator at Baraza Media Lab.
A key highlight of AMF 2026 will be the Africa Media Awards (AMA), an independent, continent-wide initiative recognising excellence in journalism and creative impact.
The 2026 edition will introduce the Creator for Good Award, reflecting the growing influence of digital creators who are driving positive social change across Africa.
The Africa Media Awards are a partnership between Baraza Media Lab, the Africa Editors Forum and Journalists for Human Rights, and aim to honour courageous reporting and sustained dedication to journalism. The awards reinforce AMF’s position as a leading media convention by celebrating work that challenges power, defends human rights and reimagines the role of media on the continent.
More than 20 speakers have already been confirmed for AMF 2026, which is expected to host over 300 participants from across Africa. Confirmed speakers include Will Church, Director of Media Freedom at Thomson Reuters (UK); Joy Lusige, video journalist and producer at ZDF German Television (Kenya); and Francesca Ekondaho, programme coordinator for outreach in Africa at the Pulitzer Center (Rwanda).
Additional discussions on media freedom, sustainability, innovation, policy and the future of creators will be led by Anita Eboigbe, Chief Operations Officer at Big Cabal Media (Nigeria), and Dr Zippy Okoth, Chair of the Department of Performing Arts, Film and Media Studies at KCA University, as well as an award-winning film producer and gender consultant.
Launched as a regional experiment in 2023, the Africa Media Festival has grown into one of the continent’s most influential gatherings for media and creative practitioners. The 2025 edition hosted participants from more than 26 countries and featured 200 speakers.