The project, being developed in partnership with the journalism department of the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, will use a combination of professional journalism skills and crowd-sourced information to hold the claims of South Africa’s leading public figures up to open, non-partisan, scrutiny.

Once the concept has been proven in South Africa, the project aims to extend the model to journalism teaching centres in other countries in Africa and beyond.

Further details about the development of the project will be announced in coming days and weeks.

AFP Chairman Emmanuel Hoog, who is chairman of the AFP Foundation board, said: “We are very pleased to have been selected. We firmly believe in the power of independent and responsible journalism to help improve people’s lives.”    

The IPI contest, which will provide funding to help launch the AFP Foundation project, was held to support and promote innovation and journalistic professionalism in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

The fourteen winners of the contest were chosen from hundreds of projects entered earlier this year.

Details of the contest and the full list of winners can be found on the contest website: http://www.ipinewscontest.org/