Digital News Transformation Fund partners with RNTC, the training and capacity development centre of RNW Media, to offer South African publishers a practical tool to assess their digital progress and identify priorities.

JOHANNESBURG, 20 October 2026: Independent news publishers looking to strengthen their digital operations now have access to a free tool to help them understand what is working, where improvements are needed and what to prioritise next. The Digital News Transformation Fund (DNTF) has partnered with RNW Media to make its Digital Transformation Assessment (DTA), a service of RNTC, available free of charge to independent publishers throughout South Africa, including the Fund's 43 grantees.

The DNTF is a partnership between Google and the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP), administered by Tshikululu Social Investments. The Fund supports the sustainability, innovation and digital transformation of small and medium local and independent news publishers in South Africa.

The assessment takes around 60 minutes to complete, ideally with two to four team members working together. It looks at how different parts of a news organisation are adapting to digital publishing, across areas including strategy, editorial workflows, audience engagement, operations, monetisation, people and digital security.

Each organisation receives a personalised report outlining its current digital position, helping teams identify strengths, areas for improvement and where to focus their limited resources. The results can also help teams develop a practical action plan, including capacity-building needs and a realistic budget. Leanne Kunz, Head of the DNTF, says: "Independent publishers are working hard to adapt to a changing media environment, often with limited resources. This assessment gives them an opportunity to look at their progress, identify what needs attention and make informed decisions about their next steps."

Participation is entirely confidential, voluntary and does not affect DNTF grants or funding conditions. Responses are used only to generate each organisation's report, with individual data kept private and not shared with the Fund or other third parties. The report is tailored to each organisation that submits the assessment information.

Boris van Westering, Digital Transformation lead at RNW Media, says: "The assessment is designed to encourage practical conversations within newsrooms about digital transformation. It gives teams a clearer picture of where they stand and helps them agree on what matters most."

RNW Media and RNTC will host a free introductory session on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 (SAST), open to anyone interested in learning about the assessment.

The session will take place on Microsoft Teams. Join the introductory session using this link here.

Publishers can also learn more about the DTA and access the assessment at rntc.com.

For more information, please visit dntfund.org.za.

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