SANEF Congratulates the Competition Commission on the Release of the Final Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry Report
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) congratulates the Competition Commission of South Africa for releasing the final report of the Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry (MDPMI) today. This marks a critical milestone in addressing the structural and digital challenges facing the country’s media landscape.
SANEF commends the tenacity, hard work, and resolve demonstrated by the Commission, the Inquiry Panel, and the technical team throughout this two-year process since April 2023. The organisation acknowledges the extensive public consultations, rigorous evidence-gathering, and balanced engagement with all stakeholders from large and small media houses to digital platforms, government, academics, and public-interest organisations.
In her remarks, Commissioner Doris Tshepe, who handed the report to the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, Parks Tau, underscored the democratic significance of this Inquiry. She noted that: “This is not an ordinary Inquiry… It has done so in a sector which has a critical role to play in supporting democracy in our country and protecting many of the constitutional rights of citizens, including the freedom of expression.”
Commissioner Tshepe further emphasised that the report offers “a suite of remedies and recommendations… more likely to result in a financially sustainable media moving forward.”
SANEF shares this sentiment and notes that the media’s ability to inform citizens, hold those in power accountable, and sustain local journalism lies at the heart of a healthy democracy. We believe that these outcomes, if properly implemented, could help stabilise and revitalise the industry, particularly for community and vernacular media outlets that have been hardest hit by the economic and digital transitions.
The Chairperson of the Inquiry, James Hodge, in presenting the findings, highlighted the dominance of major global digital platforms such as Google, Meta, YouTube, and X in search, social media, and advertising markets. These imbalances, he noted, have undermined the financial sustainability of South African media, particularly as news content is scraped and monetised without fair compensation. Hodge said that while “Google scrapes news content from media websites… the media have relied on referral traffic from users clicking on links to sell advertising on their own website, but this traffic is declining.”
He also pointed out the challenges posed by AI chatbots and advertising technology monopolies, where large international companies extract value from local news content without equitable returns. He said the report should assist in outlining a path forward and identifying opportunities for collective bargaining by media houses, greater government support, and innovative collaborations to enhance sustainability. Download the presentation here
Minister Parks Tau, in accepting the report, committed to submitting it to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee within ten days and to consult with his Cabinet colleagues including Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, to determine the most effective route for implementing the inquiry recommendations.
SANEF welcomes this commitment and calls for urgent, coordinated action across government, media, and digital platforms to ensure the Inquiry’s findings translate into tangible outcomes that protect and empower the South African news ecosystem.
SANEF is studying this important report and will comment more fully on it after its Council meeting on Saturday, at which the report will be discussed.
This notwithstanding, SANEF applauds the Inquiry’s recognition of the media’s essential democratic role and its attention to both national and community-level challenges. It also notes the constructive spirit in which the Commission and digital platforms engaged to find practical, good-faith remedies.
As the report rightly concludes, revitalising South Africa’s media sector will require a shared commitment from government, industry, business, and the media itself to rebuild a fair, diverse, and financially sustainable media environment.
SANEF reiterates its full support for the implementation of the report’s recommendations and stands ready to collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure that the outcomes of this Inquiry serve the broader public interest and safeguard the future of journalism in South Africa.
ENDS
Note to Editors:
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is a non-profit organisation whose members are editors, senior journalists, and journalism trainers from all areas of South African media. We are committed to championing South Africa’s hard-won freedom of expression and promoting quality, ethics, and diversity in the South African media. We promote excellence in journalism by fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research, and education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.
For more information, please contact:
Makhudu Sefara – Chairperson (079) 177-2134
Tshamano Makhadi – Deputy Chairperson (082) 223-0621
Glenda Daniels – Secretary-General (083) 229-9708
Sbu Ngalwa – Treasurer General (073) 404-1415
Katy Katopodis – SANEF Wellness and Safety Chair (082) 805-7022
Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
Jude Mathurine – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (083) 799-1701
Sisanda Nkoala – SANEF Western Cape Convenor (073)138-5564
Reggy Moalusi – SANEF Executive Director (071) 682-3695
Twitter: @SAEditorsForum
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sanef.org.za
