Briefly News' Rutendo Masasi Named Among 41 Recipients of 2026 INMA Africa Elevate Scholarship
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- Rutendo Masasi, Human Interest editor at Briefly News, is one of 41 media professionals chosen for the 2026 INMA Africa Elevate Scholarship, selected from a field of 114 applicants across the continent.
- The virtual INMA programme trains a new generation of African media leaders in audience growth, digital platforms, AI, revenue models, and newsroom transformation, set against strong editorial values.
- Her selection strengthens Briefly News' standing in South African digital journalism, with sister brand Legit.ng also represented on this year's list through entertainment lead Ismaila Yinusa.
Rutendo Masasi, Human Interest editor at Briefly News, has been selected for the 2026 INMA Africa Elevate Scholarship, one of the most competitive development programmes for emerging media talent on the continent.
The International News Media Association (INMA) announced the 41 recipients, selecting them from a competitive pool of 114 applicants from across Africa. The awardees represent broadcasters, publishers, digital-first media startups, audience engagement teams, and newsroom innovators working through a period of rapid change in the industry.
A voice for human interest journalism
Rutendo has built her name on stories rooted in everyday South African life. A graduate of Rhodes University, where she earned a BA (Hons) in English in 2018, she brings four years of journalism experience to Briefly News, where she handles human interest coverage. Her reporting reaches into culture and society, family and relationships, personal finance, and the small human moments that resonate widely with online audiences. That instinct for relatable, people-first storytelling has made her one of the newsroom's most consistent producers of widely shared work.
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Grounded in training and craft
Her selection sits on a foundation of steady professional development. Rutendo has completed training courses run by the Google News Initiative, sharpening the digital and verification skills that modern newsrooms depend on. She has become a familiar byline for readers who turn to Briefly News for coverage that treats ordinary lives as genuine news.
Briefly News on the continental stage
The recognition also speaks to the growing weight of Briefly News in African journalism. As one of South Africa's leading digital news publishers, Briefly News sits within a pan-African media group that also operates Legit.ng in Nigeria, TUKO.co.ke in Kenya, and YEN.com.gh in Ghana, reaching millions of readers each month. Rutendo Masasi's place on the the 2026 INMA Africa Elevate Scholarship list reflects a wider ambition across the group, to build African newsrooms that meet global standards while reporting African stories on African terms.
That ambition carried across borders this year. Legit.ng secured a place on the same 2026 cohort through Ismaila Yinusa, Head of its Entertainment Desk, meaning two of the group's newsrooms feature among this year's recipients. For a network built on serving distinct national audiences, seeing its journalists chosen side by side is a marker of shared editorial strength.
Inside the scholarship
The scholarship is built for the demands now facing media organisations. Recipients receive virtual training through INMA covering audience growth, digital platforms, product thinking, AI, revenue models, newsroom transformation, and editorial values. The programme is delivered through livestream learning modules, global industry insights, and peer engagement sessions coordinated by INMA, giving participants direct exposure to how leading media companies operate worldwide.
INMA chief executive Earl J. Wilkinson described this year's group as "an exciting generation of professionals thinking beyond traditional newsroom boundaries." INMA launched the Elevate Africa Scholarship Programme in 2025 to strengthen emerging talent and support the long-term sustainability of the continent's news industry.
What this means for Briefly News
Masasi's selection lands as more than a personal milestone. It signals that Briefly News is developing editorial leaders whose work stands comparison with peers from every corner of the continent, and that human interest journalism, often underrated, holds real weight in shaping how audiences connect with the news.
For a publisher that reaches millions of South Africans each month, having one of its editors chosen for the training that shapes the continent's next generation of media leaders is a quiet but meaningful measure of where the brand stands, and where it intends to go.
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Source: Briefly News
