While these platforms have opened new avenues for communication, they have also eroded the financial foundations of traditional media, weakened local journalism, and introduced unprecedented challenges related to misinformation, data protection, and platform accountability. In this evolving digital landscape, South Africa has emerged as one of the few African nations willing to confront the unchecked power of global technology giants. It's growing pushback through regulatory challenges, competition reviews, and demands for fair compensation for local content offers important lessons for the rest of the continent, Botswana included. Recently, the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) welcomed the findings and recommendations shared via the Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry report released by the Competition Commission.
The inquiry, which was formally started in October 2023, was done in line with section 43B (1) (a) of the Competition Act 89 of 1998 (as amended). The new report found that big tech companies have severely affected news media in that they are the gateways through which audiences consume and or access information. According to the report: “An inquiry was initiated because the Commission has reason to believe that there exist market features in digital platforms that distribute news media content, the AdTech markets that facilitate digital advertising and the AI services that use and display news media content, which impede, distort or restrict competition, or undermine the purposes of the Act, and which have material implications for the news media sector of South Africa. This includes features that adversely affect consumer choice, media diversity, and media organisations that are small and medium enterprises (“SMEs”) or owned by historically disadvantaged persons (“HDPs”).”
