{"id":11470,"date":"2026-06-02T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnti.org\/cnti-news\/\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T09:08:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T13:08:47","slug":"relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnti.org\/reports\/south-africa-indie-info-providers\/relationships\/","title":{"rendered":"Strategic relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For South African indie info providers, strategic relationships serve as important sources of support. By leveraging professional networks \u2014 including partnerships with established media companies, mentorship programs and ties from previous career positions\u2014 these interviewees have overcome resource constraints and expanded their audience reach. Relying on relationships more than formal training reflects the broader national context where, according to the World Bank, 14.4% of South Africans<\/span><\/a> over the age of 25 hold a bachelor\u2019s degree. Studies from Latin America<\/span><\/a> and the rural United States<\/span><\/a> also find that collaboration is vital for journalism\u2019s survival in under-resourced environments. Understanding how indie info providers collaborate can provide important insight into the future of journalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How and why we did this<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Note on terminology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is no consensus on terminology, even among our interviewees. We primarily use the term “indie info provider” and sometimes “creator-journalist,” which was the term used in our survey and interviews. Both terms appear throughout the report to refer to the same group: \u201cpeople who are working to provide verified factual information with a personality- or voice-driven brand that leverages the creator economy.\u201d <\/em>That definition encompasses a tremendous amount of variation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why we did this<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is the second report in a two-country series about indie info providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to our research<\/a>, about one in four people in South Africa get news from individuals rather than organizations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the South African media environment is undergoing a profound transformation<\/a>. Media crises<\/a> in recent decades have led to \u201can increasingly constrained business environment<\/em><\/a>,\u201d forcing outlets to rely on freelance journalists<\/a> and short-term contracts to stay afloat and leaving many journalists without stable employment. This shift has coincided with a massive migration in audience habits: recent surveys find that about 7 in 10 surveyed (online, English-speaking) South Africans<\/a> get their news from social media, especially on their smartphones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To date, research<\/a> on this trend has largely focused on the broader landscape of content creators, including entertainers, politicians and other creators who do not necessarily focus on informing their audiences. And most research to date has focused on content sourcing and linking strategies. To enable a future for a plurality of fact-based sources that readers and viewers find relevant, our project sheds light on who indie info providers are and how they approach their role in the broader news landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How we did this<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In partnership with Code for Africa<\/a>, CNTI recruited 43 content producers in South Africa to take a screening survey, 42 of whom met the eligibility criteria, and chose 18 of them for a 60- to 90-minute virtual interview. (The one who did not meet the criteria was neither South African-based nor working for a primarily South African audience.)   CNTI selected interviewees to represent a range of professional backgrounds, such as project management and the military, beyond legacy journalism. This report is based primarily on insights from the interviews, with data from the survey as a secondary source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In interviews, we asked participants about their backgrounds and motivations, audience engagement, their relationships with other indie info providers and legacy news outlets, platforms, and algorithms, revenue and business strategies, and their view of success and satisfaction with their own work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We developed codes using a bottom-up iterative approach as themes emerged from the analysis. Code categories largely reflected the range of interview topics, as well as the addition of the broader theme \u201capartheid and historical context.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These methods provide richness and depth; however, it\u2019s not possible to generalize about the frequency of behaviors from these interactions, so we limit our use of quantitative terms to our interviewees throughout this report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CNTI research and professional staff prepared this report. This project was made possible by the financial support of the Lenfest Institute and a second anonymous donor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See \u201cAbout this study<\/span><\/a>\u201d for more details.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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South African interviewees leverage broad personal and professional relationships to sustain their operations and combat professional isolation in the face of scarce resources.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For many indie info providers, collaboration is more than a professional choice; it is a cornerstone of success that bridges the gap between limited resources and high-impact output in South Africa. These partnerships range from formal groups to informal peer networks that sustain indie info providers both logistically and emotionally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multiple interviewees rely on informal support ecosystems to navigate the challenges of being indie info providers. These networks allow them to pool their resources. One group of female indie info providers meets regularly to share information about trusted photographers, videographers and graphic designers. Similar structures exist for those working in audio, where indie info providers offer everything from informal mentorship to branding assistance. For those in rural areas, these connections act as a vital lifeline: Where few others perform similar work, \u201ctalking shop\u201d with a nearby fellow publisher provides the peer contact necessary to combat professional isolation. One interviewee noted how important their community was, \u201cespecially as an independent and as a freelancer for many reasons, but not least for sanity checks and just advice and things on, how do you navigate this situation?\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These informal networks include personal as well as professional relationships. Multiple interviewees rely on family members to provide key skills for their indie brand. One interviewee said their daughter helps them run their social media accounts. <\/em>Another interviewee relies on a cousin to learn the technical side of producing documentaries because \u201che has also put more experience in the technology, so I learned a lot from him.\u201d <\/em>For others, family members are not only knowledge resources but important collaborators. After one interviewee began gaining traction on TikTok, they hired a brother and another friend. <\/em>Their brother served as a sounding board for ideas, playing a key role in the collaborative creative process as they discussed current events and developed topics for their channel. These relationships show that interviewees go beyond peer and formal networks when looking for help, and find that family members might just have the skills they need to make their project work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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South African interviewees largely develop the skills they need through previous work experience and professional associations.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For those who had previously worked in media, many learned the necessary skills for their indie info brand through collaboration in their current or previous roles. One interviewee noted that working in mainstream media and television documentaries taught them the \u201cnews nose,\u201d <\/em>an instinctual understanding of journalism. Others found that while they started in legacy news media, their practical experience allowed them to pivot into digital formats. Even those who valued their university experience ultimately credited TV and film sets for giving them the technical foundation they needed to launch their own ventures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many interviewees supplement their skills through journalism-specific organizations and hands-on training. The South African Freelance Organization<\/span><\/a> and the Writers Guild of South Africa<\/span><\/a> were described as \u201cvital\u201d <\/em>for beginners and the Association of Independent Publishers<\/span><\/a> provides specialized knowledge on securing funding and navigating TikTok. These and other online platforms help interviewees access specialized information in areas such as digital marketing, disinformation and tips for covering elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just three interviewees cited the relevance of their formal education specifically for business and administrative skills. One mentioned the importance of the skills they learned while attending business school in the U.S. through the Mandela Washington Foundation; another completed a university program at the intersection of business and social impact; a third referenced a certificate program in arts and business administration. Consequently, many interviewees broke into the media industry by developing their skills directly on the job rather than through school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to \u2014 or in place of \u2014 collaboration, a handful of interviewees find informal and self-directed methods to be essential tools for learning. These informal approaches include \u201cgrowing up watching Oprah,\u201d <\/em>using ebooks and online guides to study industry best practices, personal initiative, and trial and error. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Collaboration helps indie info providers expand their audience and address news deserts \u2014 but not all interviewees see it as a positive.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Collaboration also serves as a powerful tool for audience building and content depth. Interviewees reported a diverse array of creative partnerships designed to expand their reach. Some have explored working with local comedians and younger content creators or cross-posted content to engage new demographics and amplify visibility. Along the same lines, one indie info publication is launching a series with young South African creators to engage with role-playing video games for TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Two interviewees discussed partnering with think tanks and educational institutions to add a scholarly angle to their reporting. These partnerships with other creators and institutions can be mutually beneficial, as both parties are reaching audiences they might not otherwise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite efforts to expand the audience, there are still extreme disparities in reach. The availability of news varies greatly across South Africa<\/span><\/a> \u2014 between rural and urban, and affluent and impoverished areas. Subsequently, one interviewee is partnering with grassroots influencers to address news deserts in rural South Africa<\/span><\/a>. This project provides younger creators with journalism training and addresses the lack of news coverage in certain areas, while granting the interviewee access to new audiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While networks and collaborative settings constitute a large part of the indie news ecosystem in South Africa, five participants indicated that they do not collaborate with others, or only have potential plans to do so. One had a strong stance against working with other creators based on negative experiences. Their primary concern was brand integrity, fearing that their core message might be misconstrued by collaborators who lack a deep understanding of the topic being covered. Another said that during the previous iteration of their project, they did not want to ask for help, but for a planned relaunch, they are looking forward to collaborating with others working in a similar space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Newsrooms are another important source of collaboration; flexible niches help indie info providers maintain relationships with legacy outlets. <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A majority of South African interviewees actively collaborate with larger news organizations by co-hosting events, publishing on their platforms and appearing on broadcasts. One interviewee described how their videos and articles were syndicated across multiple major newsroom websites and TV shows, and that they are actively pursuing relationships with two more outlets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For indie info providers, seeing freelance work as continuations of their brands (see Professional Backgrounds) makes them amenable to a wide range of collaborations. And South African newsrooms may be more likely to see these indie info providers as collaborators rather than competitors, especially for those struggling to find funds for full-time staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often, what differentiates indie info providers is tone and voice rather than topic area. Various interviewees described their own work as \u201cfeminist,\u201d<\/em> \u201chuman-centered,\u201d<\/em> \u201ccreative storytelling, satire and comedy,\u201d \u201cAfro-centric\u201d <\/em>or \u201cfactually based informed balanced and contextual narrative.\u201d<\/em> Three of those we spoke to are Rastafarians. All three described \u201cfaith-based identity\u201d<\/em> as a core lens that informs how they see \u2014 and report on \u2014 the world. A key reason to maintain flexibility in their approaches is to stay adaptable and attractive to a broader range of freelance opportunities. For example, one South African interviewee focuses broadly on “science” <\/em>because \u201cit’s too risky to base your writing on one specific subject or journal.\u201d <\/em>Given how many interviewees maintain close relationships with legacy outlets (see \u201cMaking Money<\/span><\/a>\u201d), adaptability is a necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What the U.S. can learn from South Africa<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

U.S. interviewees, who are earlier in their entrepreneurship journey, are more focused on professional development, while South African interviewees are more focused on building and sustaining strategic relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South African interviewees rely not just on professional networks but also personal networks to support their projects, while U.S. interviewees focus on networks of people with similar professional backgrounds. Professional diversity within networks may bring a broader array of complementary skills, which can be valuable for learning and growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many South African interviewees have strong relationships with newsrooms. They appear on broadcasts, have their work republished and co-host events. U.S. interviewees want to strengthen these relationships, but run into financial and creative barriers. Positioning themselves as expert sources may be one way to collaborate on their own terms. Focusing on their tone or lens rather than their topic area may also create more opportunities if newsrooms see them as flexible.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Continue reading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Professional Backgrounds<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Historical Context<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Credibility<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Distribution Platforms<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Making Money<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Finding Stability<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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About This Study<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Participating Creators<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Creator Videos<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Companion Report: U.S. Indie Info Providers<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South African indie info providers foster strategic relationships for learning and mutual support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"parent":11437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-image","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mbm_post_meta_color_slug":[],"_mbm_featured_category_id":"76","inline_featured_image":false,"_mbmamp_team_author_id":[7905,7891,7825,10621],"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"cnti-focus-area":[105,106],"cnti-topic":[],"class_list":["post-11470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reports","cnti-focus-area-building-news-economic-sustainability","cnti-focus-area-news-relevance"],"acf":{"cnti_article_quick_read_link_file":{"simple_value_formatted":"","value_formatted":"","value":"","field":{"ID":0,"key":"field_6609f4b7a6240","label":"Quick Read","name":"cnti_article_quick_read_link_file","aria-label":"","prefix":"acf","type":"file","value":null,"menu_order":0,"instructions":"","required":0,"id":"","class":"","conditional_logic":0,"parent":"group_6609f4b72d6a1","wrapper":{"width":"","class":"","id":""},"return_format":"array","library":"all","min_size":"","max_size":"","mime_types":"","allow_in_bindings":1,"_name":"cnti_article_quick_read_link_file","_valid":1}},"cnti_article_full_report_file":{"simple_value_formatted":"06.02 South Africa indie info providers - PDF-combined copy<\/a>","value_formatted":{"ID":11959,"id":11959,"url":"https:\/\/cnti.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/06.02-South-Africa-indie-info-providers-PDF-combined-copy.pdf","title":"06.02 South Africa indie info providers - PDF-combined copy","alt":"","description":"No blank pg 2","caption":"","mime_type":"application\/pdf","type":"application","subtype":"pdf","icon":"https:\/\/cnti.org\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/document.png"},"value":"11959","field":{"ID":0,"key":"field_6609f53ba6241","label":"Full Report","name":"cnti_article_full_report_file","aria-label":"","prefix":"acf","type":"file","value":null,"menu_order":1,"instructions":"","required":0,"id":"","class":"","conditional_logic":0,"parent":"group_6609f4b72d6a1","wrapper":{"width":"","class":"","id":""},"return_format":"array","library":"all","min_size":"","max_size":"","mime_types":"","_name":"cnti_article_full_report_file","_valid":1}},"cnti_article_parallel_study_sneak_peek_file":{"simple_value_formatted":"","value_formatted":"","value":"","field":{"ID":0,"key":"field_69dce511d7a57","label":"Parallel Study: Sneak Peek","name":"cnti_article_parallel_study_sneak_peek_file","aria-label":"","prefix":"acf","type":"file","value":null,"menu_order":2,"instructions":"","required":0,"id":"","class":"","conditional_logic":0,"parent":"group_6609f4b72d6a1","wrapper":{"width":"","class":"","id":""},"return_format":"array","library":"all","min_size":"","max_size":"","mime_types":"","allow_in_bindings":1,"_name":"cnti_article_parallel_study_sneak_peek_file","_valid":1}},"post_audio_embed":{"simple_value_formatted":"","value_formatted":"","value":"","field":{"ID":0,"key":"field_68e438d2c1796","label":"Add audio embed iFrame","name":"post_audio_embed","aria-label":"","prefix":"acf","type":"text","value":null,"menu_order":0,"instructions":"","required":0,"id":"","class":"","conditional_logic":0,"parent":"group_68e438d1a3701","wrapper":{"width":"","class":"","id":""},"default_value":"","maxlength":"","allow_in_bindings":0,"placeholder":"","prepend":"","append":"","_name":"post_audio_embed","_valid":1}},"post_guest_author":{"simple_value_formatted":"This data type is not supported! 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