June 2025
The Southern Africa Accountability Journalism Project (SA | AJP) calls on journalists and editors working in countries of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to pitch investigative story ideas. Newsrooms or journalists who pitch successfully will receive a grant and editorial support to investigate, report and deliver a quality exposé on a public interest issue of their choosing.
Any story idea which seeks to expose wrongdoing, abuses of power or failures of accountability in the region will be considered for support.
Story pitches that contain collaborative or cross-border elements will be favoured, and journalists are encouraged to partner with colleagues in other countries (including those outside the SADC region).
Who can pitch: This opportunity is open to freelance and permanently employed journalists who would like to take a six to eight week sabbatical from their daily duties to focus on an investigation and to upskill themselves under expert mentorship. Permanently employed journalists should secure the endorsement of their editors before pitching.
Funding available: Participating journalists (or their newsrooms, in the case of permanently employed journalists) will get funding of up to USD300 for costs (such as travel and data) and a flat fee of USD1,200 for delivering a well-reported, investigative story within a set time frame. Additional funding for reporting costs might be available on special application.
Editorial support: Each participating journalist will be assigned an editor who will provide guidance and assist the journalist in delivering the best possible exposé arising from their pitch. SA | AJP will offer training and contract external experts, photographers and graphic designers to ensure the delivery of a complete story package. SA | AJP will assist journalists to secure publishing partners for their stories, if needed, and to maximise the impact of the story through marketing, publicity and partnerships.
About the SA AJP: The Southern Africa Accountability Journalism Project (SA | AJP) is a new project to support and strengthen investigative journalism in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It is a partnership between the Henry Nxumalo Foundation, Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Centre and Viewfinder Centre for Accountability Journalism.
When to apply: Pitches will be adjudicated as they are received. The deadline for this round of proposals is 31 May 2025. There are limited grants available. Pitches which are strong and submitted earlier than the deadline date stand the best chance of being successful.
How to pitch: Complete this pitching questionnaire on Google Forms.
Additional resources: To ensure your pitch is as strong as possible, familiarise yourself with our pitching guidelines tipsheet and revisit the video of our online training session from January 2025 here. Also, read our FAQs section here.
Additional queries: If you have additional queries, you may send them to henrynxumalofund@gmail.com