AIJC 2021 Five Cities Conference: Call for co-hosting partners

The African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC) has been hosted since 2005 at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has grown to become the biggest annual gathering of working journalists on the continent, a meeting place for investigative reporters and a showcase of the best work from the continent.

It takes place this year on October 3-5, 2021.

To make the most out of pandemic conditions, we are planning AIJC2021 as a hybrid conference with small, safe, simultaneous gatherings in five African cities, live-streamed to the rest of the continent.

We seek partners in each region of Africa (other than Southern Africa, where we are based) to co-host these meetings.

Partners will be required to provide the following support and logistics:

  • Organise and host local and regional participation in the AIJC 2021 including providing a venue, logistical and admin support, high quality connectivity, catering and audio visual facilities. Recommendations for hotel accommodations
  • Each partner would need to facilitate and support the annual conference functions and events, as indicated in the Conference programme, including the hosting of a one day gathering and the running of at least two conference programme sessions from that gathering. We hope this will make us a truly continental conference, and draw in the widest possible range of journalists.
  • Each partner would need to carry out risk assessments, these are to be coordinated and integrated in-line with the co-host countries national risk assessment. This is to ensure the event meets both their national/local Covid-19 rules and regulations, as well as our safety protocols.
  • Show you have the experience, skills, resources and personnel to work closely with us to ensure the smooth running of the conference. Ideally each partner would need to convene a working committee, to work with the AIJC team in the following areas; conference programme, marketing & social media, technical & AV production, logistics and fundraising.
  • Each partner is to provide full budget in the format provided here.
  • Each partner will be required to actively solicit sponsorships and contributions from local and International business in support of the conference.
  • Each partner will be required to actively market, publicise and promote the conference on all platforms, including all websites, social media and local media.
  • Provide full financial and narrative reports with supporting documentation and timely notify Wits Journalism AIJC team of all monies received in connection with the annual Conference, including for example and without limitation sponsorship monies received. This will need to be done within two weeks of the end of the conference.
  • Wits Journalism will be the primary host and will work closely with partners to ensure consistency and quality in all five venues.
  • Partners will be required to sign a memorandum of agreement with us.

For more details on how to apply, click here. Written proposals should be emailed with all supporting material to aijc@journalism.co.za by April 16, 2021.