Deadline: July 15, 2025
The African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award 2025 is now accepting entries from across the continent. This prestigious honour celebrates Africa’s most courageous and impactful investigative reporting. If your work has exposed injustice, challenged the status quo, or brought about real-world change between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, this award is for you.
Hosted by the Wits Centre for Journalism in partnership with Absa Africa, the award will be presented during the African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC)—Africa’s biggest annual gathering of investigative journalists.
About the African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award 2025
The African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award 2025 recognises excellence in investigative journalism that serves the public interest and advances accountability, transparency, and social justice across the African continent.
This is the third edition of the award, which has already become one of the most respected honours in African journalism. It is open to both individuals and teams working in print, broadcast, or digital media.
Award Benefits
Successful finalists and the overall winner will receive the following:
- 💰 US $5,000 cash prize for the overall winner
- 🛫 All-expenses-paid trip to attend the AIJC Conference 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa
- 🎓 Access to exclusive networking, learning, and collaboration opportunities with fellow journalists from around the world
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award 2025:
- The story must be an investigative piece published or broadcast between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025
- The work must have been featured in African media outlets
- Entries must focus on issues relevant to Africa, such as corruption, human rights, governance, environment, inequality, or systemic failure
- Submissions are open to both individual journalists and investigative teams
Key Dates and Submission Deadline
- 🗓️ Submission deadline: July 15, 2025, at 17:00 SAST
- 🗓️ Conference date: November 5–7, 2025, at Wits University, Johannesburg, South Africa
(Finalists will be invited to attend with all travel, meals, and accommodation covered)
Recent Past Winners
- 2024 Winner: Blanshe Musinguzi (Uganda), for a powerful piece on illegal timber trade across East Africa
- Runners-up: Manasseh Azure Awuni and his team (Ghana), for The GH₵3 Billion Lie
- 2023 marked the inaugural award, setting a new standard for investigative journalism in Africa
Why This Award Matters
The African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award 2025:
- Champions journalism that defends democracy, exposes wrongdoing, and holds power to account
- Recognises the personal risk and dedication often involved in high-quality investigative reporting
- Helps elevate the profiles of African journalists on both continental and global stages
How to Apply
If you have a compelling investigative story published between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, submit your entry before the deadline.
🔗 Click here to apply
📘 Read more about the programme here
Submissions must be completed by July 15, 2025 at 17:00 SAST. Don’t miss this opportunity to be recognised as one of Africa’s finest truth-tellers.
Final Thoughts
The African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award 2025 is more than an award—it is a call to celebrate courageous journalism that changes lives and policies. If you or your team have published work that has made a difference, now is the time to be seen, heard, and honoured.
For expert assistance with entry writing, proposal refining, or review, contact grantsdatabase.org.
