Dear partners and friends of fraycollege,
As we close out 2024, I reflect with immense pride and gratitude on the extraordinary milestones we’ve achieved together. fraycollege is a pan-African feminist training organisation that advocates for social change by empowering others across the continent to tell their stories well so they have maximum impact in their communities. Thanks to your support and partnership, in 2024, we had the privilege of doing work that speaks directly to this and more.
This year, South Africa’s first group of graduates for the new QCTO Journalism Certificate graduated under fraycollege. With partners like Bloomberg, Africa No filter, Wits Journalism and UNESCO, we produced research and courses that supported African journalism and communications industries.
The strategic communications and media training work we did with civil society organisations like UNAIDS, C40 Cities, Amandla.mobi and Tekano, contributed to equity, climate action, and sustainable development on the continent.
Our commitment to gender equity underscores everything we do but was specifically visible with initiatives like the EntreprenHER programme, Thisability and media management course for women, which supported female media leaders and entrepreneurs.
Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited to build on this momentum. We will continue supporting climate action, equality and sustainability; deepening our work with civil society; and rolling out new initiatives that empower journalists and communications professionals in this rapidly evolving landscape. Our focus remains on nurturing the next generation of leaders who will drive transformation in the media and communications sectors.
Thank you for your hard work, passion, and dedication. I am excited for what we will achieve together in the coming year. Wishing you all a restful holiday season and a prosperous new year. As we close the chapter that was 2024, do go down memory lane with us as we share some highlights from the year.
Warm regards,
Mamaponay Motsai
CEO, fraycollege
Accredited Courses
2024 was a big year for accredited training at fraycollege. Different groups were verified and received certificates or statements of results from the QCTO and MICT SETA.
For instance, our group who piloted the very first Occupational Journalism Certificate by QCTO in South Africa, graduated in March. It was a joyous occasion for the students who had worked very hard and an example of our commitment to journalism. Graduates like Kgopotso Seth Chawane, now Editor-in-Chief at TUT FM, and Ntsiki Mthethwa from Jozi FM said the course had changed their lives. Read more about this here.
In addition to the journalism certificates that were verified by QCTO and MICT SETA this year, other groups that were verified included those who did courses in: marketing, digital media, writing, entrepreneurship and communications. We are thankful for partners like Nascee, MTN, FPM SETA, and Association of Independent Publishers for trusting us to deliver these accredited courses for their teams or beneficiaries.
Working with Civil society for Development communications
At fraycollege, we are deeply committed to supporting civil society organisations and change makers who are driving positive transformation in their communities. We believe in the power of communications to amplify voices, inspire action, and foster lasting change.
This year we worked with organisations like C40 Cities to support city officials from different African countries to create communications strategies for their climate action work. We provided similar support for UNAIDS for their officials from eastern and southern Africa and for SADC GMI. We partnered with Tekano and Amandla.mobi to provide training for their fellows on how to effectively communicate their campaigns for maximum impact. We designed dynamic communications training programmes to help our civil society partners champion the course for justice and equity. These collaborations demonstrate our commitment to supporting organisations in addressing global challenges through media and communications.
Supporting journalism
Journalism is an important pillar of democracy or good governance. In Africa journalism provides citizens life saving, life changing information. fraycollege will continue to support journalists across the continent by providing bespoke courses that meet the unique needs of each newsroom and the rapidly changing landscape.
This year we partnered with UNESCO and Wits University to create an e-course on financial sustainability for African newsrooms. The course was based on research done with different newsrooms to understand what they have experimented on, and what the success and limitations were. Read more about that here.
Beyond that, in 2024 we provided training to newsrooms on topics that included writing, digital media, social media storytelling, conducting interviews, using AI in the newsroom, podcasting and many other topics.
Climate Change
Climate change is one of the biggest crises of our time. If we are to save lives, jobs and the environment, everyone must play their part. fraycollege has committed to supporting the work of climate change through providing communications training to different role players and incorporating issues of sustainability into other areas of our work.
This year we were honoured to partner with organisations such as C40 Cities and the City of Joburg to enhance the communication they do for climate action.
We developed resources to support climate action and sustainability, including a comprehensive Air Quality Communications Toolkit for C40 Cities as well as a toolkit on Inclusive Climate Action Communications. These publications are made available to cities across the word in different languages. We look forward to doing more climate change work in 2024 as we grow together in learning how to effectively communicate climate change in an African context.
Research and Reports to support incidence based journalism and communications
At fraycollege we are firm believers in research-based communications and decisions. We are committed to supporting the journalism communications industries with research that will influence their sustainability and effectiveness. This year we worked on a number of research projects to this end.
We partnered with Africa Bloomberg on a study to understand the African Media landscape. The report provides an in-depth understanding of the issues African media faces and what the people involved see as the best way forward. The report can be found here.
We worked with the International Labour Organisation on the SAMM Media toolkit to help improve how journalists in the SADC region report on labour migration. The toolkit can be found here.
We partnered with Africa No Filter in developing the research and handbook How to Write About an African Election: A Guide. This important resource challenged the negative stereotypes often associated with African elections and provided journalists and content creators with practical tools to tell more nuanced, accurate stories. The guide can be found here.
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs and Media Excellence
Gender equality is a foundational value at fraycollege. We advocate for gender equality in all our work, whether it be directly or indirectly. This year we proudly supported the fraymedia Foundation’s flagship EntreprenHER programme, which offered both accredited and non-accredited courses to aspiring female media entrepreneurs. This initiative was part of our broader commitment to gender equity, ensuring women have equal access to the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in media and communications. Read more about that here.
Alongside EntreprenHER, through the Thisability programme, we worked with fraymedia Foundation to provide training for junior women media entrepreneurs who are living with a disability. The Thisability programme is a year-long project that seeks to impart entrepreneurial skills to future media leaders living with disabilities by taking them through a range of accredited courses and giving them personal development skills. We also partnered with FP&M Seta and to provide training and individualised coaching for senior and junior woman media managers.
At fraycollege, gender equity is at the heart of our ethos. We strive to create spaces where women can lead, learn, and grow, advancing not only their careers but also the broader media ecosystem.
As we reflect on the accomplishments of 2024, we are reminded of the power of collaboration and purpose-driven action. From advancing journalism education and empowering women entrepreneurs to driving impactful climate communications and supporting civil society, this year has showcased the transformative potential of media and storytelling. These milestones inspire us to keep championing equity, innovation, and sustainability across Africa. Thank you for being an integral part of this journey.
Together, we’ll continue to shape a future where every story has the power to create meaningful change.
