"I have been privileged to compile this anthology of essays, stories and testimonies of Africa’s top media executives who, through their actions and visionary leadership, are re-shaping and strengthening Africa’s fledgling media companies and institutions. Their touching real-life stories are an inspiration to all who work and desire to see Africa succeed and to have its voice heard above the din of the new digital age. A financially robust African media that is also independent and pluralistic will serve to give meaning to and strengthen the continent’s nascent democracy and contribute to the lifting of its people out of grinding under-development, poverty and related ills. These media leaders, in sharing their stories with the rest of Africa and the world, show that the real test of what works and does not work in managing and leading a successful media firm too often lies in the field and at times does not necessarily follow orthodoxy." (Editor's note)

"This compilation has been culled from nearly 30 presentations made at the Africa Media Leadership Summit held in Cape Town from August 19 to 22, 2007. The summit, hosted by Rhodes University’s Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, was the sixth since the annual series was launched in 2002. Forty African media chiefs from 15 countries -- stretching from North, East, Central and Southern Africa -- attended the conference, whose theme was “Revenue Generation for Robust African Media”. (Editor's note)