Russian news agency Sputnik has opened a new editorial centre in Johannesburg, IOL reported. A second office opened at the same time in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The two offices were launched ahead of the third Russia-Africa Summit. The summit is set to take place in Moscow on October 28 and 29.
The centres will employ dozens of local journalists. They will produce content in English and Swahili, including podcasts that will play on radio stations across the continent.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke in a video address to the opening ceremony in Tanzania. He said the offices would give African audiences more access to what he called objective and verified information.
Lavrov said the information would be free from distortion or ideological filters. He thanked the authorities in South Africa and Tanzania for backing the project. He said their support was needed for journalists to work well and safely.
“Today, as the collective West persistently suppresses any dissenting voices within the global information space, resorting to methods such as censorship and the application of double standards, the value of such work can hardly be overstated,” Lavrov said.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile welcomed the Johannesburg office. He called it an important development for the media in South Africa and the rest of Africa.
Mashatile said the opening showed growing co-operation between South Africa and Russia. He said it would add to the range of views in public debate.
He said the office could help share African voices and tell African stories. He said he hoped it would become a platform for quality journalism and closer ties between South Africa, Russia and the continent.
Russia’s ambassador to South Africa, Roman Ambarov, said access to many different sources mattered more as information became more political.
“We live in a time when information is increasingly politicised, and it is not always easy to distinguish facts from disinformation,” Ambarov said.
Ambarov said the Rossiya Segodnya Group, which owns Sputnik, already had a large presence across Africa.
Sputnik Africa was launched in 2022. It works in five languages in Africa, including Swahili, Amharic and Oromo. Worldwide, Sputnik broadcasts in more than 30 languages and runs 26 centres.
Said Shaib Moussa, deputy permanent secretary at Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Dar es Salaam office was expected to cover Tanzania, the region and the wider world. He said this would include news on geopolitics and development.
Dmitry Kiselev, director-general of the Rossiya Segodnya media group, said the new offices showed trust between nations, journalists and audiences. He said this trust would strengthen information sovereignty in both Africa and Russia.
Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Rossiya Segodnya, said Sputnik would report on Africa to Russian audiences and on Russia to African audiences. She said the centres were a chance to build on long ties between the two sides.
Kelvin Kanje, acting director of Tanzania’s Department of Information Services, said the opening strengthened relations between Tanzania and Russia. He said it would also give Tanzania a bigger chance to make its voice heard around the world.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.