Russian state-backed news agency Sputnik has opened a new editorial office in Johannesburg, expanding its African operations and seeking to strengthen locally produced news content across the continent.
The Johannesburg newsroom was launched alongside a second editorial office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as part of Sputnik’s efforts to broaden its coverage of African affairs and increase the production of content by African journalists.
The two centres employ dozens of local journalists producing content in English and Swahili, including podcasts distributed through partner radio stations across Africa.
Sputnik says the stations collectively reach more than 100 million listeners.
South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile welcomed the opening of the Johannesburg office, describing it as a sign of growing cooperation between South Africa and Russia and an opportunity to broaden the range of perspectives available to audiences.
“We welcome Sputnik’s commitment to amplifying African voices and telling African stories,” Mashatile said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking via video link, said the new editorial offices would help improve access to what he described as verified information and provide additional platforms for African voices.
He thanked the governments of South Africa and Tanzania for supporting the initiative and criticised what he called Western media bias and censorship.
The expansion comes ahead of the third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for 28-29 October in Moscow where political and economic cooperation between Russia and African countries is expected to feature prominently.
Sputnik Africa was launched in 2022 as part of Russia’s broader media engagement strategy on the continent.
The platform publishes content in five languages, including English, Swahili, Amharic and Oromo, targeting audiences across sub-Saharan Africa.
Sputnik is part of the state-owned Rossiya Segodnya media group, one of Russia’s largest international media organisations.
JN/APA