Why investing in Africa's media leadership is the best way to navigate disruption

To bridge this gap, the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has opened applications for the 2026 Executive Programme in Media Leadership (EPML). This year, the institution is doubling down on a curriculum designed to turn technological disruption into a sustainable competitive advantage, specifically through a massively expanded focus on Artificial Intelligence.

The strategic vacuum: Leading through permanent disruption

The programme arrives at a moment when African media leaders are navigating profound disruption, often without the necessary time or institutional support to engage these challenges at a high strategic level. Historically, the industry has focused on editorial excellence and technical delivery as separate silos, but the current era demands a synthesis of both.

"Our focus is on creating a structured space for media leaders to step back from day-to-day pressures and think strategically about the future of their organisations," says Michael Markovitz, Director of the Media Leadership Think Tank at GIBS. Markovitz, who leads the programme alongside Styli Charalambous, co-founder and CEO of Daily Maverick, notes that the complexity of the current landscape requires a shift from reactive management to proactive leadership.

The four-month programme is not a traditional academic course but a 14-day hybrid experience designed for senior practitioners who are currently "in the trenches." This includes editors, newsroom leaders, product heads, and executives in policy and finance who are tasked with keeping media houses afloat in a volatile economy.

The AI mandate: Moving beyond the basics

While the 2026 curriculum retains its foundational focus on sustainability, business model innovation, and strategic influence, the "new frontier" for this intake is a substantially expanded Generative AI component. In many global newsrooms, AI is often viewed with a mix of curiosity and dread. The EPML seeks to replace that uncertainty with a hands-on, multidisciplinary approach.

This is not just about "how to use ChatGPT," but rather a deep dive into the technical, ethical, and commercial infrastructure required for modern media. Key pillars of the new AI curriculum include:

• Prompt and Context Engineering: Moving beyond basic queries to develop sophisticated workflows for high-quality, nuanced editorial output that preserves the publication's unique voice.
• Tool Analysis and Infrastructure: Evaluating the rapidly growing ecosystem of AI tools to determine which offer genuine ROI for newsroom efficiency versus those that are merely high-cost hype.
• Applied Use Cases for African Newsrooms: Tailoring AI implementation to the unique cultural, linguistic, and economic realities of African media environments, ensuring local context is never lost in the algorithm.
• Ethical Governance: Creating frameworks for transparency and accuracy, ensuring that AI-driven tools enhance rather than undermine the integrity of the newsroom.

A multidisciplinary faculty for a multidimensional crisis

The strength of the programme lies in its faculty, which avoids the ivory-tower trap by combining GIBS academics in leadership and strategy with "battle-hardened" senior media practitioners. The teaching staff includes investors, technologists, and policy experts from across the continent and the globe—each bringing direct experience in building and transforming media organisations.

This diversity of thought is mirrored in the participants themselves. The inaugural 2025 cohort served as a "who's who" of African leadership, drawing senior figures from across the spectrum:

• Regional and multilateral bodies such as the African Union.
• Public sector decision-makers from the National Treasury of South Africa.
• Major broadcasters and digital native outlets including the SABC, eNCA, and Daily Maverick.
• Emerging tech-focused platforms like TechCabal and independent local publishers.

From theory to transformation: The capstone project

A core differentiator of the EPML is the requirement for each participant to deliver a "capstone project." This is not a theoretical paper; it is a practical application of the programme's learnings to a real-world challenge within the participant's own organisation. This ensures that the R150,000 investment translates directly into organisational value.

According to Styli Charalambous, these projects are already yielding "outstanding results" for the 2025 alumni. One participant described the experience as providing a "well-needed and nuanced space to think deeply" about building resilient, high-quality media organisations on the continent. Another alumnus reflected on the immediate impact: "I learned so many new and useful things that we have been implementing. Our business is already growing faster due to some of these ideas."

Building social capital across the continent

Beyond the curriculum, the programme places a heavy emphasis on building "social capital" within the African media ecosystem. In a sector often characterized by fierce competition and shrinking resources, the EPML creates a rare space for leaders to collaborate, exchange insights, and develop collective responses to shared continental challenges.

The Executive Programme in Media Leadership is supported by the Google News Initiative, which is partnering with GIBS to strengthen the next generation of media leaders in Africa. As applications for the 2026 intake close on 15 June, the message to African media executives is clear: the future belongs to those who lead through the disruption, not those who wait for it to pass. DM

Programme details

• Dates: 21 July – 30 October 2026
• Applications close: 15 June 2026
• Fee: R150,000 — includes tuition, learning materials, accommodation during in-person blocks, and meals
• Scholarships: Limited scholarships available
• For more info & to apply visit: GIBS executive programme in media leadership