Bilal is Program Director for Africa & MENA at MDIF. He is a CA(SA) with 15 years’ experience in tech and media. He was former CEO of a media startup in Qatar, Social Media Editor at Al Jazeera, and a Manager in Transaction Services at KPMG.

Brigitte has a Masters in Journalism from Wits University and has worked in African media development for over twelve years, most recently as Programme Manager with KAS Media Africa and previously launching the Wits Africa-China Reporting project within Wits Journalism.

Mandla Langa is one of South Africa’s internationally acknowledged contemporary writers, cultural organisers and a veteran of the national liberation struggle. Mandla is a poet, short-story writer, novelist, and cultural activist.

Dinesh Balliah is a media consultant currently pursuing doctoral research at Wits University in Journalism and Media Studies, studying newsroom convergence and the impact on journalism practice in South Africa.

Mohamed Nanabhay is the Deputy CEO of the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), which invests in independent media around the world providing the news, information and debate that people need to build free, thriving societies.

Nishant Lalawani leads Luminate’s global strategy for funding independent media, including investigative journalism, press freedom, combatting misinformation, and innovative financial models. He also oversees Luminate’s strategy, learning & impact, and partner support teams.

Pontsho Pilane is a journalist and media trainer who has been a senior writer at Health-e News, and a health journalist at Bhekisisa centre for health journalism. She debuted as a journalist at The Daily Vox, where she wrote primarily about gender and race.

Vincent Maher is pioneer and strategist in the South Africa digital media industry, currently serving as the Head of Digital Enablement at Multichoice. Prior to joining Multichoice, Maher was the Chief Innovation Officer at Kagiso Media.