Multi-platform destination marketing company Southern Africa Direct was recently honoured in the corporate category of the Highway Africa New Media Awards for its innovative and creative use of technology to serve Africa. The company’s multimedia approach to telling the African story in a credible and entertaining manner resulted in a second place trophy.
The awards were hosted on the back of the Highway Africa conference which saw around 700 journalists from around Africa descend on Grahamstown’s Rhodes University to discuss issues of reporting on and within the continent. Highlighting the role that digital technologies play in the media, the awards reward the pioneering, innovative and creative use of technology in doing journalism that serves Africa and its citizens
Judging criteria include the use of new media technologies to advance press freedom on the continent; encouraging social empowerment amongst marginalised communities and highlighting innovative and creative applications of global technology for the benefit of the continent’s overall media development.
Said SA Direct CEO Pierre van der Hoven said: “We are proud to be recognised for our efforts to showcase the region’s geographical and cultural treasures and tourism and investment potential. SA Direct is the world’s first destination specific television channel and was launched in 2007 on the UK’s Sky platform (channel 270).’
SA Direct has an interactive website (www.southernafricadirect.com) which streams the channel live and provides information and rich media content on 25 countries in Southern Africa. Videos on the region are further distributed through social media, mobile phones and GPS devices.
