Zambia’s Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya becomes the Youngest BBC News Komla Dumor Award winner

Zambian television and radio presenter, Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya won the 2022 BBC News Komla Dumor Award. Buyoya, who is 25 years old is the youngest recipient of the award and also the first winner to emerge from South Africa. He is currently a reporter and also a TV Host with Diamond Television in Zambia; where he started a while back in 2017.

Despite being the  youngest winner, he is overall the seventh winner of the award.  Previous winners are Victoria Rubadiri, Solomon Serwanjja, Waihiga Mwaura, Amina Yuguda, Didi Akinyelure, and Nancy Kacungira. The runner-up for this year’s edition is from Ivory Coast, Lindsay Aida Guei, who hosts her show on Canal+Elles, a channel that is focused on Africa majorly.

As a result of his win, he’s going to spend three months working with BBC teams in London who will show him how things work across television, online and radio and will also have the great opportunity to sharpen his journalism skills through various trainings and workshops and mentorships with other great BBC Journalists in the field. As part of the placement, he will travel to a country in Africa to report on a story that will be broadcast to the BBC’s global audiences.    

This category of awards was founded to honor Komla Dumor who was a presenter for BBC World News before he died suddenly at the age of 41 in 2014.

Buyoya says:

“Finding out I’d won the BBC News Komla Dumor Award is one of the best things to have happened in my life. I have a huge admiration for Komla’s prodigious work. I’ve always wanted to be a journalist and I’d watch back Komla’s news reports, inspired by his powerful storytelling and his dedication to covering Africa authentically. I can’t believe I’ll be given the opportunity to report on a multifaceted story from Africa and then share it with the BBC’s global audiences. I’m truly grateful to be part of Komla’s legacy.”

The judges who were impressed with Buyoya for his journalism, his charisma, and his passion for sharing stories about the continent through digital platforms, praised him and congratulated him on his win.

Juliet Njeri, Head of BBC Africa says: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Dingindaba to BBC News. We’re excited by his journalistic talent, and seeing him flourish during his BBC placement.

Dingindaba’s dedication to ensuring important news stories from Africa are told in a compelling and engaging way, makes him ideal to help to continue Komla’s legacy – sharing nuanced and comprehensive stories about the continent.”