How to be a media entrepreneur

Why are there so few media startups in South Africa? With just one or two notable exceptions, the publishing landscape looks more or less as it did ten or fifteen years ago, both from a title and ownership point of view. Theoretically, it's easier to launch a new media enterprise now than at any point in history - so why are so few of us doing it?

It’s a pressing question, and one which Hacks/Hackers Johannesburg will be exploring at its monthly meetup on 23 July.

Through a combination of funding, business acceleration and mentorship, the South Africa Media Innovation Program (SAMIP) has been working for almost a year to help entrepreneurs experiment with and uncover new models for working and financing media entities.

SAMIP program officer Siyabonga Africa will be presenting a short talk on the program and where it stands in terms of general entry. He will touch on journalism entrepreneurialism and what it takes to submit a successful application.

After Siya's Q&A, we'll also be hosting a quick discussion about open data and its potential in Johannesburg.

Join us on Monday 23 July at JoziHub. See you there.