Lerato Peggy Matheka, Managing Editor of Newsday, has been appointed Southern Africa Ambassador for the Africa Women Experts (AWE) platform, a continental initiative aimed at amplifying the visibility of women experts in the media.
Matheka joins three other journalists selected to represent different regions of the continent: Makoubama Samba Irène Nadège (Congo Brazzaville) for Central Africa, Koffi N’Guesshand Aya Nadège (Côte d’Ivoire) for West Africa, and Maura Ajak (South Sudan) for East Africa.
The appointments follow a competitive selection process that began with a call for applications in December 2025. Eight journalists were shortlisted in February 2026, with final selections made after interviews, and the ambassadors officially announced in April.
The Africa Women Experts platform, launched in 2018 by Moroccan television channel 2M, is designed to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in media content by providing a database of African women specialists across more than 200 fields.
In a statement outlining the initiative, organisers said the platform was created to improve gender balance in media representation.
“As part of its commitment to improving the representation of women in the media, and more specifically to promoting African women’s expertise, the Moroccan television channel 2M launched the Africa Women Experts (AWE) platform in 2018,” the statement read.
“The website Africawomenexperts.com, available in both French and English, is dedicated to women experts across the African continent. It is a digital directory that lists African women experts in more than 200 fields of expertise.
“It is made freely available to journalists, media professionals, content creators, institutions, and researchers who wish to identify and connect with experts from across the continent.
“The objective is to promote equitable speaking opportunities between women and men and to improve the presence of women in the media in Africa.”
The platform also showcases the achievements and career paths of women through profiles and multimedia content, while encouraging greater engagement between experts and media practitioners.
As Southern Africa Ambassador, Matheka is expected to promote the platform, support the identification and registration of women experts, and advocate for their increased inclusion in media and public discourse across the region.
Her appointment places Lesotho at the centre of a growing continental effort to reshape media narratives and ensure that women’s expertise is more visible, accessible, and influential.
Summary
- Lerato Peggy Matheka, Managing Editor of Newsday, has been appointed Southern Africa Ambassador for the Africa Women Experts (AWE) platform, a continental initiative aimed at amplifying the visibility of women experts in the media.
- The Africa Women Experts platform, launched in 2018 by Moroccan television channel 2M, is designed to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in media content by providing a database of African women specialists across more than 200 fields.
- “As part of its commitment to improving the representation of women in the media, and more specifically to promoting African women’s expertise, the Moroccan television channel 2M launched the Africa Women Experts (AWE) platform in 2018,” the statement read.
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