By Johnathan Paoli
President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed broadcasting and media policy expert Philly Moilwa as the new Chairperson of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) Board, in a move aimed at strengthening the agency’s leadership as it advances media development and diversity across South Africa.
The MDDA confirmed that Moilwa’s appointment is for a five-year term, effective from last week Thursday, while the President has also re-appointed Colin Mashile as a board member representing the shareholder.
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The appointments were made in accordance with Section 4 of the Media Development and Diversity Agency Act of 2002, with both Moilwa and Mashile officially taking their oaths of office on Thursday.
MDDA said the appointments bolster the agency’s governance as it continues supporting community and small commercial media while promoting greater diversity in the country’s media landscape.
Moilwa joined the board in April 2025 and holds a MA in Business Leadership from the University of South Africa, a LLB from Monash South Africa, BEd and Honours in Education from the University of Johannesburg.
His expertise spans broadcasting, information and communications technology (ICT), law, governance, policy and regulation, and he has also served on the board of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).
MDDA said his experience across both the public and private broadcasting sectors would strengthen the agency’s work.
“He brings extensive leadership experience across South Africa’s broadcasting, media and communications sectors, having played a pivotal role in industry governance, broadcasting policy development, regulatory reform and stakeholder engagement. His deep understanding of the media landscape, combined with his experience in the public and private broadcasting sectors, positions him well to lead the MDDA Board in advancing media development and diversity in South Africa,” the agency said.
Mashile, who has been re-appointed as a shareholder representative, is a senior public policy, communications and regulatory specialist with more than 20 years’ experience in broadcasting, digital policy, media regulation, corporate governance and stakeholder management.
He currently serves as Chief Director for Broadcasting Policy and ICT Policy Development and Research at the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies.
The appointments increase the MDDA Board’s membership to six members, strengthening its oversight responsibilities at a time when the agency is focused on broadening media ownership, improving sustainability within the community media sector and promoting access to information.
Established through the MDDA Act of 2002, the agency was created to help redress historical imbalances in South Africa’s media sector by promoting media development and diversity.
The MDDA provides financial and non-financial support to community and small commercial media projects, including community radio stations, newspapers and digital media initiatives.
It also works to improve access to media for historically disadvantaged communities and encourage greater plurality in the country’s media environment.
The latest appointments come as the government continues efforts to transform the communications sector amid rapid technological change and the growing importance of digital platforms.
With Moilwa now at the helm of the board and Mashile continuing as a shareholder representative, the MDDA says it expects to build on its mandate of fostering an inclusive, diverse and sustainable media sector while ensuring effective governance and oversight of the agency’s programmes over the next five years.
