The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef), in partnership with the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA), and the University of Limpopo (UL), has announced the third Indigenous Languages and the Media Seminar.
The event will take place at the University of Limpopo from 13 to 14 August 2025 and will bring together media professionals, language practitioners, academics, and policymakers to explore the role of indigenous languages in shaping inclusive, representative media in South Africa.
This vital collaboration seeks to highlight and strengthen the crucial role of media in preserving, promoting, and normalising the use of South Africa’s rich tapestry of indigenous languages. This year’s seminar theme is: “Voices of the village: Redefining storytelling in a digital age.”
This joint initiative responds to a national call to action to fully integrate indigenous languages into the country’s mainstream and community media and public discourse. It also aligns with the Constitution of South Africa, which recognises 12 official languages, including Khoi and San languages, and affirms the right of every citizen to access information and public services in their language of choice.
The seminar will bring together journalists, media professionals, academics, policymakers, language practitioners, students, and community media representatives. It will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops, and exhibitions that explore topics such as:
- The state of indigenous language media in South Africa
- Innovations and best practices in multilingual journalism
- The role of media in language revitalisation and cultural preservation
- Community media’s role in indigenous language storytelling
By convening this dialogue, Sanef, PanSALB, NRF/SAASTA and UL hope to inspire a national movement to centre indigenous languages across all media platforms — from community newspapers to public broadcasters and digital news outlets.
Details about registration, programme, and logistics, contact the organisers below:
Sanef administrator: Dzudzie Netshisaulu
Email: dzudzien@sanef.org.za Cell: 079 029 7656
