MwanaClick puts Tanzania on the map with win at Digital Media Awards Africa 2025

Dar es Salaam. Mwananchi Communications Limited’s (MCL) digital news and content access platform, MwanaClick, has won the Best Innovative Digital Project at the Digital Media Awards Africa 2025—a historic first for Tanzania.

The award, presented by the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), places MwanaClick firmly on the continental map as a homegrown innovation that is transforming media accessibility in Tanzania and across Africa.

MwanaClick tied with South Africa’s Daily Maverick for its Manifesto MAYHEM project in the Best Digital Innovation Project category. It beat out other strong contenders, including Radio Africa’s Multiverse and MediaMax Network Limited’s People Daily News App from Kenya.

Tanzania also emerged as the only East African country to win at this year’s Digital Media Awards Africa.

Beyond this category, other winners included: Best Data Visualization—The Outlier (South Africa) for The Road to a Just Transition. Best Fact-checking Report—Food for Mzansi (South Africa) for Palesa’s Brave Discovery. Best Newsletter—Daily Maverick (South Africa) for Election ’24. Best Digital Subscription Initiative—Daily Maverick for Daily Maverick Shutdown. Best in Audience Engagement—Pulse (Nigeria) for The User Needs Impact Project 360. Best Use of Video—Netwerk24 (South Africa) for their short-form documentary. Best Use of AI in the Newsroom—Legit.ng (Nigeria) for Hausa AI News: Amplifying Indigenous Voices with Technology

“Winning this award for MwanaClick is a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration in media. We’re not just creating digital solutions—we’re transforming the industry and shaping the future of news and content access,” said Siael Macha, MCL’s Head of Digital. “This recognition inspires us to continue pushing boundaries and striving for excellence.”

“I still remember the late nights, endless bugs, and the excitement of seeing it all come together,” added Frank Galos, Lead Software Engineer. “Winning Best Innovative Digital Project feels surreal. It means the work we put in actually made a difference—and that’s the most fulfilling part. What makes it even more exciting is knowing that we’re just getting started.”

Launched in 2024, MwanaClick is a super app that bridges the information gap by offering seamless access to digital newspapers (e-paper) and a variety of content formats, including financial insights, reels, book reviews, and audio news. It functions as a digital kiosk, granting users access to premium content from top East African publications like Daily Nation, The East African, Daily Monitor, and Tanzania’s Mwananchi, MwanaSpoti, The Citizen, Zanzibar Mail, Zanzibar Leo, and Arusha News, among others.

The platform is available on both Google Play Store and App Store, with flexible micro-payment options for subscribers.

According to WAN-IFRA, this year’s winning projects showcase excellence in journalism, digital product innovation, and monetization strategies—reinforcing the continent’s push for dynamic, engaging, and sustainable digital media solutions.

WAN-IFRA, headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, represents more than 18,000 publications in over 100 countries. Since its establishment in 1948, the organization has been instrumental in defending press freedom, encouraging global media collaboration, and advancing innovation in the newspaper industry.