Isu Elihle Awards open for entries with R30,000 for first place
"Isu Elihle” is an isiZulu phrase and could be translated into English as a great idea, beautiful, or simply a neat solution.
Launched in 2016 by Moxii Africa (then known as Media Monitoring Africa), the past decade has seen powerful reporting from different African countries that amplifies children’s voices, challenges harmful narratives, and shines a light on issues affecting children often left unseen.
This work has helped shape more ethical, responsible, and accountable journalism across the continent.
As we reflect on this journey, we also look forward with urgency and purpose.
Awards open for entries
The Awards are now open for story ideas, and need to be submitted before or on the deadline, 4 June 2026 at 11:59 pm CAT.
These ideas will go through an adjudication process, undertaken by a panel of judges made up of children, child rights experts, and independent media practitioners.
Top six journalists
Following the adjudication process, the top six finalists will be announced online and across social media platforms and where possible on mainstream media.
The top six journalists will be given financial support of up to R10, 000 each to research and develop their concepts into publishable news items, which will then be published or broadcast by a mainstream news media house of their choosing.
The awards also include mentorship from media and child rights experts to provide guidance and support for the finalists as they navigate the challenges of taking their brilliant story idea and turning it into an outstanding piece that is worthy of being published in any mainstream media of their choice in their respective country.
Cash prizes
Only the top three are guaranteed to win a cash prize. First prize is R30,000, second R20,000 and third R15,000.
There is a fourth cash prize, which is “The Isu Elihle Mandy Rossouw Accountability Category” (MRC).
This fourth prize is conditional; it will only be awarded if there is a story (in the top six) that meets the criteria for the category.
The amount of money, ranging from R10,000 to R20,000 to be awarded for the Mandy Rossouw prize will be determined by the quality of the story published.
Please note that it is possible for one of the top 3 winners to be selected as the winner of the Mandy Rossouw Category. In this case, they would take two cash prizes. It is also possible that the MRC will not be awarded to any participant based on the judges’ decision.
Important dates
Story submission: 4 May - 4 June
First round adjudication: 8 June – 7 July
Finalists’ announcement and mentorship: 9 July – 10 August
Finalists produce and publish stories: 12 August – 13 October
Second round adjudication: 14 October – 5 November
Winners announced: 19 November