South Africa, Dec. 5 -- Here are the main findings:

Financial crisis deepens as Big Tech tightens its grip

Journalism in South Africa continues to struggle under political and legal pressure, widening socio-economic inequalities and a deteriorating financial climate. The escalating threat of disinformation has compounded the crisis, eroding public trust and increasing the burden on newsrooms already stretched thin.

While the digital advertising market was valued at R14.5bn in 2022, an estimated 97% of that revenue flows directly to global platforms such as Google and Meta. This dominance has resulted in what analysts describe as a market failure-starving local news organisations of the advertising income they need to survive. The situa...