Johannesburg, 26 November 2025 – The Digital News Transformation Fund (DNTF) notes recent commentary regarding the 2025 grant cycle and would like to reaffirm that the adjudication process was independent, transparent and aligned with the Fund’s governance framework.
This call received 164 applications requesting R163 million, far exceeding the available R10.7 million. All applications were reviewed through a structured multi-stage process, including eligibility checks, documentation verification and a Red–Amber–Green (RAG) assessment conducted by Tshikululu. Thereafter, the independent adjudication committee, appointed to avoid conflicts of interest, met for structured deliberations across tiers after independently scoring each proposal. Two recusals were recorded for members that declared relationships with applicants and no governance breaches occurred.
The committee recommended 23 projects, of which 21 met all due-diligence requirements by the deadline and were approved for ratification. Claims that ineligible projects were approved are incorrect.
The DNTF remains confident in the fairness, integrity and independence of the process and will continue to communicate factually to ensure clarity. Successful applicants will now proceed to contracting and a kick-off workshop covering reporting, grant conditions and onboarding.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
1. Was the adjudication process independent?
The adjudication was carried out by an independent adjudication committee, appointed specifically to prevent conflicts of interest. The DNTF Board does not evaluate or score applications; its role is limited to ratifying the committee’s recommendations.
2. Why were some applications marked as having documentation gaps?
63% of applications had missing documents at the time of screening. Tshikululu contacted applicants to obtain the outstanding items.
3. How were the final funding decisions made?
Committee members independently scored the full application pack and then met to discuss each tier (Build, Grow, Engage). Deliberations focused on:
- Digital transformation impact
- Sustainability and feasibility
- Public-interest journalism value
- Equity across publisher size, province, language and ownership type
- Avoiding once-off capital expenditure without clear outcomes
4. Did any conflicts of interest occur?
Two adjudication members recused themselves from reviewing specific applications in line with the conflict-of-interest policy. These recusals were managed as part of standard governance practice, and the process proceeded without any tie-breaks or escalations.
5. Why were only some AIP-affiliated publishers funded?
While most applicants in this round were AIP members, funding decisions are based on the strength of each proposal and its alignment with the Fund’s digital-transformation objectives. All eligible applications (AIP and non-AIP alike) were reviewed using the same criteria and assessment process. The final cohort reflects the proposals that scored highest within the available budget.
6. What are the next steps for successful applicants?
All approvals remain subject to contracting.
Successful publishers will attend a kick-off workshop covering:
- Reporting requirements
- Contracting and grant conditions
- Implementation planning and onboarding support.
7. How does this funding support the broader media ecosystem?
The 21 funded projects reflect sector-wide trends in:
- Multilingual content development
- Low-data, mobile-first publishing
- Audio and video journalism
- Community information services
- Youth, education, small-business and financial-literacy initiatives
The DNTF remains committed to strengthening diversity, innovation and public-interest journalism across South Africa.
Media enquiries
PR Powerhouse | Shaheer Lala | shaheer@prpowerhouse.co.za
DNT Fund Communications | dntf@tshikululu.org.za | +27 11 544 0300