The Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) is a statutory development agency for promoting and ensuring media development and diversity.

It is a partnership between the South African Government and major print and broadcasting companies to assist in, amongst others, developing community and small commercial media in South Africa.
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It was established in 2003, in terms of the MDDA Act No. 14 of 2002 and started providing grant funding to projects on 29 January 2004.

Our Target Audiences

• Historically disadvantaged communities;
• Historically diminished language and cultural groups; and
• Inadequately served communities.

In Brief:

Licensed community radio stations in South Africa: 285
Community radio listenership in South Africa: 8 million
Number of community radio stations on air in South Africa: 212
Number of community radio stations funded by MDDA: 156
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Number of Community TV stations funded by MDDA: 4 (+ 2 initiatives)

Broadcast languages: Full spectrum of South African languages can be heard – each station broadcasts in range of languages reflecting what is spoken by communities

Number of independent print publications in South Africa: 180*
Circulation in South Africa: 6.5 million per month*
Readership in South Africa: 20 million per month*
Publishing language: 97 publish in indigenous languages or combination of indigenous and English/Afrikaans*

MDDA funded publications: 88

* Figures from AIP

The Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) was set up by an Act of Parliament (Act 14 of 2002) to enable “historically disadvantaged communities and persons not adequately served by the media” to gain access to the media. It’s beneficiaries will be community media and small commercial media.

To achieve its objective, the MDDA will:

Encourage ownership and control of, and access to, media by historically disadvantaged communities, historically diminished indigenous language and cultural groups;
Encourage the channelling of resources to community and small commercial media;
Encourage human resource development and capacity building in the media industry, especially amongst historically disadvantaged groups;
Encourage research regarding media development and diversity

MDDA Act

To establish the Media Development and Diversity Agency; to provide for its objective and functions; to provide for the constitution of the Board and the management of the Agency by the Board; to provide for the chief executive officer and other staff of the Agency; to provide for the finances of the Agency; to provide for the support of projects aimed at promoting media development and diversity; and to provide for matters connected therewith.
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The MDDA reports to the Minister in the Presidency as its Executive Authority.