Business and Companies

Stories in this category should cover the different aspects of listed and unlisted companies, their financial/operational performance, leadership, management issues, corporate governance, among other issues.

Stories should also reflect the business trends and topical issues of the day.

Print, online, radio, and TV media are eligible.

• News value
• Impact
• Rigour in reporting
• Analytical value
• Originality
• Integrity
• In-depth knowledge
• Writing quality
• Audio/TV production value and visual impact (where applicable)

One entry per category.

An entry must consist of two stories for print media.

For radio and TV, entries must consist of two audio or video recordings.

Print stories, radio and TV reports must be published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2024.

Entrants cannot submit the same entry for other categories.

Entrants cannot enter more than three categories.

Entries will not be returned.

Economy

Stories in this category should include the economy, political economy and the impact of government policy and events that impact the economy domestically, regionally or internationally.

Stories should reflect economic and political economy trends of the day.

Print, online, radio, and TV media are eligible.

• News value
• Impact
• Rigour in reporting
• Analytical value
• Originality
• Integrity
• In-depth knowledge
• Writing quality
• Audio/TV production value and visual impact

One entry per category.

An entry must consist of two stories for print media.

For radio and TV, entries must consist of two audio or video recordings.

Print stories, radio and TV reports must be published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2024.

Entrants cannot submit the same entry for other categories.

Entrants cannot enter more than three categories.

Entries will not be returned.

Financial markets

Stories in this category should cover financial markets, such as equity, commodities and capital and money markets.

Stories should reflect the topical trends and issues of the day.

Print, online, radio, and TV media are eligible.

• News value
• Impact
• Rigour in reporting
• Analytical value
• Originality
• Integrity
• In-depth knowledge
• Writing quality
• Audio/TV production value and visual impact (where applicable)

One entry per category.

An entry must consist of two stories for print media.

For radio and TV, entries must consist of two audio or video recordings.

Print stories, radio and TV reports must be published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2024.

Entrants cannot submit the same entry for other categories.

Entrants cannot enter more than three categories.

Entries will not be returned.

Consumer financial education

Stories in this category should display a meaningful commitment to educating ordinary Africans about personal finance.

Topics can include savings, debt investments, retirement, financial planning, budgeting, and health insurance.

Stories should explain complex information in a simple and engaging way for the audience.

Stories should help improve the audience’s understanding of money issues.

Print, online, radio, and TV media are eligible.

• News value
• Impact
• Educational/informative
• Simplification of complex information for ease of reading/viewing/listening and understanding
• Rigour in reporting
• Analytical value
• Originality
• Integrity
• In-depth knowledge
• Writing quality
• Audio/TV production value and visual impact (where applicable)

One entry per category.

An entry must consist of two stories for print media.

For radio and TV, entries must consist of two audio or video recordings.

Print stories, radio and TV reports must be published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2024.

Entrants cannot submit the same entry for other categories.

Entrants cannot enter more than three categories.

Entries will not be returned.

The African Growth Story

Stories in this category should cover the economic progress of Africa, highlighting free trade, fiscal and economic policies, infrastructure development along with the challenges, successes and growth in Africa’s progress.

Stories can focus on a particular country or region but should reflect the continental perspective and the economic interconnectivity between African countries.

Print, online, radio, and TV media are eligible.

• News value
• Impact
• Rigour in reporting
• Analytical value
• Originality
• Integrity
• In-depth knowledge
• Audio/TV production value and visual Impact (where applicable)
• Stories may focus on a particular country or region but should reflect a continental perspective

One entry per category.

An entry must consist of two stories for print media.

For radio and TV, entries must consist of two audio or video recordings.

Print stories, radio and TV reports must be published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2024.

Entrants cannot submit the same entry for other categories.

Entrants cannot enter more than three categories.

Entries will not be returned.

Broadcast: Radio

Stories in this category should the topics below through traditional radio or online audio and platforms.

• Business and companies
• Economy
• Financial markets
• Consumer financial education
• The African Growth Story

Only radio media are eligible.

• News value
• Impact
• Rigour in reporting
• Analytical value
• Originality
• Integrity
• Specialist knowledge
• Scripting quality
• Production value
• Audio creativity

One entry per category.

An entry must consist of two stories for print media.

For radio and TV, entries must consist of two audio or video recordings.

Print stories, radio and TV reports must be published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2024.

Entrants cannot submit the same entry for other categories.

Entrants cannot enter more than three categories.

Entries will not be returned.

Broadcast: Television

Stories in this category should cover the topics below, through traditional television or video in new media platforms.

• Business and companies
• Economy
• Financial markets
• Consumer financial education
• The African Growth Story

Only TV media are eligible.

• News value
• Impact
• Rigour in reporting
• Analytical value
• Originality
• Integrity
• In-depth knowledge
• Scripting quality
• Production value
• Visual impact

One entry per category.

An entry must consist of two stories for print media.

For radio and TV, entries must consist of two audio or video recordings.

Print stories, radio and TV reports must be published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2024.

Entrants cannot submit the same entry for other categories.

Entrants cannot enter more than three categories.

Entries will not be returned.

Business and the Environment
(i.e., Impact of business practices, policies, transactions on the climate and environment)

Stories in this category should cover topics covering how business is engaging on environmental issues both in-country and internationally.

Reporting should explain in-country and or pan-African responses to climate and sustainability issues in both the urban and rural context.

The reporting should build awareness and understanding of the prevailing issues on ESG matters.

The reporting should also hold accountable those implementing policies and practices impacting climate and society.

Print, online, radio, and TV media are eligible.

• News value
• Impact
• Rigour in reporting
• Clarity and analytical value
• Originality
• Integrity
• In-depth knowledge
• Writing quality
• Audio/TV Production value
• Visual impact (where applicable)

One entry per category.

An entry must consist of two stories for print media.

For radio and TV, entries must consist of two audio or video recordings.

Print stories, radio and TV reports must be published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2024.

Entrants cannot submit the same entry for other categories.

Entrants cannot enter more than three categories.

Entries will not be returned.

Business and Society
(i.e., Impact of business practices, policies, transactions on society)

Stories in this category should cover topics that examine how business responds to the interests and concerns of a range of relevant stakeholders in the context of ESG.

The reporting should promote understanding of the issues, highlighting innovation, impact, as well as encourage accountability on how business interactions with society on ESG.

Print, online, radio, and TV media are eligible.

• News value
• Impact
• Rigour in reporting
• Clarity and analytical value
• Originality
• Integrity
• In-depth knowledge
• Writing quality
• Audio/TV Production value
• Visual impact (where applicable)

One entry per category.

An entry must consist of two stories for print media.

For radio and TV, entries must consist of two audio or video recordings.

Print stories, radio and TV reports must be published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2024.

Entrants cannot submit the same entry for other categories.

Entrants cannot enter more than three categories.

Entries will not be returned.

News value:
Relevance, context, breaking news

• Was the journalist the first to break the news?
• Did the journalist present a new, fresh and insightful angle on a story?
• Was the story relevant within the broader societal agenda?
• Is it contextualised within this relevance?

/20

/20

Impact:
Significance, benefit to society

• Was it of sufficient significance to have an impact on the public?
• Did the story lead to action in the broader sense, e.g. from an industry body, group of consumers, government?
• Did it make a positive contribution to society?

/10

/15

Rigour in reporting:
Depth and breadth, accuracy, reliability, thoroughness

• Is there evidence of research conducted by the journalist?
• Did he/she display imagination or resourcefulness in conducting the research?
• Did he/she consult a wide and balanced range of credible sources?
• Is there evidence of accuracy?

/20

N/A

Analytical value:
Insight, analysis, interpretation

• Did the journalist probe the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind the story?
• Did the journalist conduct sound and insightful analysis of the subject matter?
• Did the story indicate that the journalist had an extremely deep knowledge and understanding of the issue or subject matter?
• Did he/she present this interpretation in a clear, concise and credible manner?

/10

N/A

Originality:
Enterprise, discovery, originality of subject, originality of initiative, surprising angle

• How original or unique was the subject matter?
• Did the journalist find an angle which was unexpected?
• Did the journalist display enterprise and initiative in finding the topic?
• Did the journalist execute the story in a unique way?

/10

/20

Integrity:
Balance, fairness, independence, transparency

• Did the journalist present a balanced story by consulting all appropriate sources on all sides?
• Did he/she give all sources equal weighting in the final report?
• Was he/she transparent about his/her sources and methods?
• Are his/her views independent of any third-party agenda?
• Did the journalist distinguish between fact and comment?

/10

/15

Specialist knowledge:
Depth of understanding of subject matter

• Did the journalist display deep understanding of the subject matter?
• Did the report/s make a positive contribution to the category (business, economy, financial markets, consumer financial education, the Africa growth story)?

/20

N/A

Storytelling – written:

• Did the journalist succeed in presenting the topic in an understandable, accessible way?
• Did the writer display quality and creativity in the use of language? Judge in terms of style, tone, grammar, and sentence construction.
• Did the journalist display a deep understanding of how to use the written word to communicate effectively with readers?
• Was there a strong, compelling introduction to the story?
• Was there a well-developed focus and theme?
• Was the story well-organised and structured?
• Was the writing lively and engaging?

N/A

/30

Storytelling – visual:

• Did the journalist succeed in presenting the topic in an understandable, accessible way?
• Did the reporter make exceptional use of the medium through impactful visuals and other innovative techniques to tell the story?
• Did the journalist display a deep understanding of how to communicate effectively with viewers?
• Was there a strong, compelling introduction to the story?
• Was the narrative clear, concise, and grammatically accurate?
• Was the story well-organised and structured?
• Was the broadcast lively and engaging?

N/A

/30

Storytelling – audio:

• Did the journalist succeed in presenting the topic in an understandable, accessible way?
• Did the reporter make exceptional use of the medium through sound and other innovative techniques?
• Did the journalist display a deep understanding of how to use their voice to communicate effectively with listeners?
• Did the report have a strong audio impact?
• Was there a strong, compelling introduction to the story?
• Was the narrative clear, concise, and grammatically accurate?
• Was the story well-organised and structured?
• Was the broadcast lively and engaging?

N/A

/30