WikiIndaba 2023/Submissions/Future Audiences strategy for African communities

• Full recording of the session

ID :	Future Audiences strategy for African communities
Author(s): Purity Waigi, Mary Munyoki		Username(s): PWaigi (WMF) & MMunyoki(WMF)	Type of submission: Workshop
		Affiliation: Wikimedia Foundation	Theme(s): Technology
Abstract: Millions of people in areas of recent digital growth like Africa are coming online for the first time. It is imperative that our projects support and welcome new readers with access to knowledge that matches how they consume content on the internet.. However, our share of media interaction and consumption is still growing as more people come online. Newer platforms are growing exponentially and the internet is becoming more multi-modal, more interactive and more social. These changes challenge both our contribution and consumption models. The need to adapt to these opportunities has risen due to the changing expectations of our users about digital products. To match these expectations, we have to match/exceed the quality of other experiences that users are exposed to. The simplest way to do that is to re-use and refine patterns, methods and mental models of popular platforms. The Wikimedia Foundation's Product & Technology department Annual Plan for 2023-2024 specifically Future Audiences bucket, gives us an opportunity to explore strategies and ideas for expanding beyond our existing audiences of consumers and contributors, in an effort to truly reach everyone in the world as the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge. This session is proposed to be a workshop and will provide an interactive opportunity for attendees to brainstorm on potential experimentation ideas to meet the needs of African communities where they are with localized innovations that fits to their patterns in efforts to increase African Content growth in our experiences.			Level of advancement: basic, medium, advanced
			Special requirements:
			Extra information: Etherpad
How will this session be beneficial for the communities in the region? Brainstorm on ways we can build for African audiences that have the ability to benefit from digital information and services in a format that fits their access patterns. Explore ways to focus on new knowledge consumers and contributors from Africa that diverge from long form articles and where we see interactions such as content amplification, preservation, curation etc

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