A SAHARA beyond xxx initiative | 2026

Telling Africa's energy story. Shaping solutions

Prize of up to $5,000, including funding, immersive learning, mentorship, and strategic exposure to shape Africa’s energy narrative.

Submit Story

Africa’s energy story is not only written in policies and projects, but in the everyday realities they shape. While announcements and headlines tell part of that story, the most important questions often remain unanswered.

Why do power systems fail? Who carries the burden of energy transition? What changes for a community when a project arrives? What are the most pressing environmental challenges Africa must address? How do we ensure no one in Africa is left behind in the quest for energy access?

These stories are complex, resource-intensive, and often overlooked or under-reported.

Through the Asharami Square Energy Reporting Fellowship, journalists are supported to dig deeper, report rigorously, and bring these vital stories to light - spotlighting the challenges and solutions that can shape a more sustainable energy future for Africa.

FELLOWSHIP OBJECTIVES

Rooted in Sahara Group’s Beyond XXX vision, this Fellowship is not about looking back - it is about building forward. It is an investment in the thinking, talent, and systems that will shape how Africa understands and advances its energy future.

Because the future of energy will be shaped by the clarity of its stories and those who tell them. In that ecosystem, journalists are not just storytellers - they are essential infrastructure.

Strengthen Energy Reporting

Strengthen journalistic capacity to report Africa’s energy systems with depth, balance, and accuracy

Build a long‑term community of journalists equipped to engage energy issues critically and responsibly

Build Journalist Community

Surface Underreported Stories

Give more visibility energy stories that illuminate trade‑offs, constraints, and real‑world impact

Drive Evidence-Led Storytelling

Support field‑based, evidence‑led storytelling that goes beyond announcements and policy soundbites

Support Africa’s transition by strengthening the quality of stories that inform policy, investment, and public trust in energy systems

Inform Transition Narratives

SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Journalists are invited to submit original story aligned with the Fellowship theme.

Grounded in field reporting with credible outcomes

01

Demonstrate clear public‑interest relevance

02

Avoid promotional or advertorial framing

03

Clearly articulate why the story matters now

04

To participate, submit a well-researched and properly referenced energy-focused story on Africa or any African country, exploring key thematic issues such as energy access, power, and energy transition, written between January and June 2026.

Submit Story

Investigative, unbiased reporting that goes beyond the surface

05

Translating complex data into accessible public understanding

06

Evidence‑based stories; what is working, what is not, and why

07

Awards and Recognition

    • Dedicated support to cover reporting‑related costs including travel, research, data access, and documentation

    • Grants are structured to enable reporting that would otherwise be constrained by access, logistics, or time

    • Disbursement tied to an approved and clearly defined reporting plan

    • Facilitation of access to relevant energy sites, subject‑matter experts, and contextual data where appropriate

    • Sahara Group’s role is limited to facilitation and amplification; it does not commission, approve, or influence editorial outcomes

    • Support to publish completed stories through credible media platforms

    • Amplification via Asharami Square and Sahara Group channels, with clear attribution

FIRST PRIZE

$3,000

SECOND PRIZE

$2,000

THRIRD PRIZE

$1,000

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Fellowship is open to practicing journalists and media professionals across Africa. Applicants must be actively practising journalism in print, broadcast, online, or multimedia journalism at the time of application. 

  • Yes. Entries must be published or broadcasted. Unpublished drafts or personal essays will not be accepted.  

  • Applications are submitted online via the Fellowship portal. You will be required to upload your entry, provide proof of publication, and complete a short application form with your professional details.  

  • The Fellowship awards one winner a cash prize of USD 3,500. In addition, the winner and the top 10 finalists gain exclusive access to a capacity-building programme featuring a masterclass, workshops, facility tours, and mentorship sessions. 

  • The application is completed online via the Fellowship portal. You will be required to provide the following: 

    Personal Details 

    Full name, contact information, and a passport-size photograph 

    Professional Background 

    • Years of experience in journalism 

    • A professional bio 

    • LinkedIn profile link 

    Your Entry 

    • Coverage area and story title 

    • Geographic focus of the report 

    • Entry summary covering the story, why it matters, credible sources and evidence, relevant data, societal impact, and proposed solutions 

    • Reporting approach, including your methodology (interviews, datasets, field visits, etc.) 

    • A public interest statement explaining who needs to know this story, why it is so important and what action should follow 

    • Medium and outlet of publication 

    • A link or file to the published story 

    Please provide a link or upload a file containing the published or broadcast story to which the comment relates. 

    Preferred option: A direct URL/link to the published or broadcast story. 

    Alternative option: If no link is available, upload a copy of the story as a file. 

    Accepted file formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, JPG, JPEG, PNG, MP4, or MP3. 

    Maximum file size: 10 MB or 25 MB 

    A letter of attestation from your editor from an authorized executive of your media organization, confirming your role and affiliation. This may be signed by an Editor, Managing Editor, Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, Station Manager, News Director, or another authorized representative of the organization. 

     

  • Entries must cover Africa’s energy sector. Submissions are accepted across the following coverage areas under the overarching energy umbrella:   

    • Environment 

    • Power 

    • Economics & Development  

    • Policy & Governance  

    • Data & Technology  

    • Mining & Solid Minerals 

     

  • Yes. We welcome applications from journalists across all specialisations. However, your submission must directly engage with the energy sector and fall within one of our accepted coverage areas.  

    For clarity, eligible stories may cover topics within the Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream segments of the Oil and Gas Industry, as well as the Power Industry, including electricity generation, transmission, distribution, access, policy, regulation, innovation, sustainability, and energy transition-related issues. 

     

  • Entries are reviewed by an independent panel of judges with expertise in journalism, energy, and sustainable development. Judges will evaluate the quality of the reporting, relevance of the story is to Africa’s energy transition, its public interest value, and originality, 

  • Applications will close in September 2026. Following the closure of applications, an independent judging panel will review all submissions. The top 10 finalists and the winner will be announced after the judging process is completed. 

  • The Fellowship is open to all journalists across Africa, especially media professionals covering the energy and environment sectors in any African country. 

     

     

Africa’s Energy Story is waiting to be told

SUBMIT STORY NOW

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