While the continent faces many challenges, South African award-winning journalist, Benjamin Moshatama, has emphasised the importance of telling positive stories that reflect the progress and development in Africa.
With his story on the importance of shared water resources in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional integration and development and the contribution of the Kingdom of Lesotho in the management of shared water resources, Moshatama won second prize in the Radio Category at the SADC Media Awards Competition.
"I was inspired to do the story because it's a positive African story. At times when we look at Africa, we focus on the obvious trying story. Of course, as journalists we should look at the stories about the challenges on the continent, but the narrative cannot be one dimensional.
"It has to be multi-dimensional. Africa is a complex place. There are positive things happening on the continent and a lot of progress is being made, that is why it was important to tell the story," the journalist from Channel Africa Radio told SAnews on Friday.
The SADC Media Awards are aimed at promoting excellence in the fields of Print Journalism, Radio Journalism, Television Journalism and Photojournalism.
They serve as a link for coordination and synchronisation between the formal structures of SADC member states and media. They further seek to bring and enhance a partnership between the media and government institutions.
The SADC Media Awards present a unique opportunity for the SADC region's journalists to be celebrated and recognised by their peers.
"I am a very proud South African so to compete on a regional level was important for me to lift the flag of South Africa high in terms of our media representation and it's important for us to shine a light on narratives showing the cooperative governance structures that are in the region," he said.
Two South African journalists won in the Radio and Photo category respectively.
Fikile Necter Marakalla was the second prize winner in the Photo Category with her pictures that were published in SAnews and The Diplomatic Informer.
Marakalla's winning entry highlighted the strong fraternal, historical as well as social relations between South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania during the State visit of her Excellency Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan.
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Marakalla started working at the Government Communication and Information Systems (GCIS) as an intern in 2022 on a two-year contract and when it ended in March this year, she took up a position in the office of the Deputy President as a photographer.
"It's an honour to be recognised for the work that I did so early in my career. I am looking forward to serving the public through my work, which captures government's work and the programmes that are aimed improving the lives of South Africans," she said.
South Africa's participation in SADC is guided by the SADC Treaty. The SADC Treaty guides all Member States within the regional bloc.
The Treaty encourages the people of the region and their institutions to take initiatives to develop economic, social and cultural ties.
The GCIS is responsible for the implementation of the annual Southern African Development Community (SADC) Media Awards on behalf of South Africa.
Deputy Minister in The Presidency Kenneth Morolong encouraged media practitioners to share stories on the economic wellbeing of the continent, improvement of the standard of living and the improvement of quality of life, peace and security, freedom and social justice and economic progress.
"These awards are a testament to the power of hope in driving further success of SADC. We have a lot going for us as a region and we remain one of the most stable regions in Africa. The potential for our region is enormous," Morolong said.
He was addressing the SADC Media Awards Dinner.
