The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria is pleased to partner with Moxii Africa for the 2026 Media Freedom Festival, taking place from 14 to 16 October 2026 at the Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg.

Festival: 14–16 October 2026
Venue: Goethe-Institut, Johannesburg
Theme: Elections and Accountability: News, Digital Media and Information Integrity

RSVP for the Media Freedom Festival

Now in its ninth year, the Media Freedom Festival provides an important space for dialogue and collaboration on the state of South Africa’s information ecosystem. This year’s theme, “Elections and Accountability: News, Digital Media and Information Integrity,” is particularly timely as South Africa approaches the 2026 Local Government Elections.

For the Centre for Human Rights, participation in the Festival reflects our commitment to strengthening human rights, democratic participation and access to reliable information. Freedom of expression and access to information are essential to meaningful participation in democratic life, while the increasing prevalence of mis- and disinformation, digital manipulation and rapidly evolving technologies raises complex questions for human rights protection.

The information environment in which people make decisions is changing rapidly. Digital platforms have expanded access to information and created new opportunities for public participation, but they have also introduced challenges relating to the spread of harmful content, platform accountability, privacy, artificial intelligence and the protection of democratic processes. Addressing these challenges requires engagement across sectors and perspectives.

The Centre is therefore pleased to contribute to a Festival that brings together journalists, civil society organisations, academics, policymakers, technology stakeholders and members of the public. Collaboration across these constituencies is essential to developing approaches to information integrity that protect fundamental rights while supporting an open and participatory information environment.

We look forward to engaging with fellow colleagues, partners, researchers, media practitioners and members of the public interested in media freedom and information integrity throughout the Festival and contributing to conversations on how South Africa can strengthen media freedom, accountability and access to trustworthy information in the digital age.

Read the Moxii Africa press release: moxiiafrica.org/media-releases/moxii-africa-announces-its-annual-media-freedom-festival

RSVP for the Media Freedom Festival: https://forms.gle/p3ySBXC57C3fHuG57