Capitalism strikes again. Or more accurately, economic headwinds are flogging media businesses in Africa, and employees are getting the boot.
Following a series of alarming layoffs in the Kenyan media industry, Mediamax, a company famous for political breaking news stories, has joined the fold.
The media company has laid off employees for the sixth time in four years—that’s about one layoff every 8 months. Harsh economic conditions and restrictive policies, according to Mediamax, are factors driving businesses to the ground.
Why’s the axe swinging without mercy? Blame the usual suspects. The media house says Kenyans are consuming news differently and sales are falling. It’s not just about TikTok eating into the audiences or advertisers moving online. The old models aren’t working anymore. Mediamax wants to adapt or risk packing up.
Between the lines: 500 journalists and media workers have been laid off. Nation Media Group (NMG), in August 2023, saw 15 employees cut from their jobs—the company’s fifth round of job cuts. In July of that same year, over 300 employees of Standard Group received one-month notices to be laid off.
Even though layoffs have become a default response to pressure, companies are also trying to reinvent themselves by pivoting to digital mediums and experimenting with new formats.
But what happens to the workers left behind? Many may transition into adjacent fields like communications, content strategy, or digital marketing. Roles that tap into their skills but exist outside traditional newsrooms. As legacy media adapts, so must its people. Even though they are often without a clear roadmap, and enter into sectors that are equally changing fast.
