About the opportunity
What this programme is offering
Applications are now open for the 2026 Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) Isu Elihle Awards. The Isu Elihle Awards were launched in 2016 by MMA ,with the support of Save the Children International, the Swedish International Development Agency and Media Network on Child Rights Development (MNCRD) based in Zambia. Since 2020, the awards have been funded by UNICEF. “Isu Elihle ” is an isiZulu phrase and could be translated into English as a beautiful, great or simply a neat solution.
Competition Stages
First Stage: Submission of the story idea (4 May – 04 June 2026)
Journalists submit their story ideas before or on the deadline (04 June 2026 at 23:59PM 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. Following the adjudication process, the top six finalists will be announced online and across social media platforms and where possible on mainstream media.
Second Stage: Producing and publishing the full story.
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. Please note that individual journalists must take sole responsibility to approach a mainstream media house and secure an agreement to publish/broadcast with the media house in question should their story idea be selected as part of the top six.
The top six stories will undergo adjudication and only the top three are guaranteed to win a cash prize. There is a fourth cash prize, that 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 to be awarded for the Mandy Rossouw prize will be determined by the quality of the story published.
Requirements
The Competition is open to professional journalists, whether directly employed or freelancers, working in the continent of Africa.
The Competition is held in English. Therefore, all entries and story ideas must be in English.
Prizes
Winner CategoriesApproximate Cash prize *Overall winner:R30 000First runner up:R20 000Second runner up:R15 000Mandy RossouwCategory (“MRC”): Between R10 000 and R20 000
*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.
Application Timeline
ActivityDatesDurationStory idea submission04 May – 04 June 20264 weeks1st round adjudication08 June – 07 July 20264 weeksFinalists’ announcement & mentorship09 July – 10 August 20264 weeksFinalists produce and publish stories12 August – 13 October 20268 weeks2nd round Adjudication 14 October – 05 November 20263 weeksAnnounce final winners19 November 2026
*Please note the timeline above is subject to change and due notice will be given should it change
For More Information:
How to apply