Zimbabwe’s burgeoning digital media landscape received a significant boost this week as telecommunications giant NetOne committed to supporting online journalists struggling with connectivity challenges that hamper their work.
Speaking at a breakfast meeting, Young Online Journalists Association (YOJA) representative Mutongwiza painted a picture of a vibrant but struggling sector. These are not amateur operations, he insisted, but “legitimate newsrooms, authentic brands, and genuine employers.
“He pointed to the DJ Ollah podcast as proof of concept – a digitally-native platform that has captured nationwide attention without backing from established media houses.Yet beneath the innovation lies a harsh reality: crippling data costs and unreliable internet access.”For emerging journalists, data transcends convenience,” Mutongwiza told attendees. “It serves as our camera, our printing press, our archive, and our broadcasting signal.
“Expensive subscription plans, patchy coverage, and sluggish speeds – particularly during live broadcasts – are strangling the sector’s potential. In multimedia journalism, he noted, poor connectivity effectively means no connectivity at all.
YOJA has proposed concrete solutions: affordable data packages for journalists, dedicated infrastructure for streaming government briefings, and provincial digital hubs equipped with high-speed internet and training facilities. Critically, any support must come without editorial strings attached.
“A functioning democracy requires journalists capable of independent reporting, celebrating achievements and highlighting shortcomings,” Mutongwiza said.
Elias Mambo, Editorial Executive at Zimpapers, offered insights into how traditional media is navigating the digital shift.The publishing house has restructured entirely, appointing live editors and digital managers while consolidating newsrooms around online priorities.The results are encouraging: since April, revamped platforms have registered between 1.3 and 1.7 million demand metrics – up from virtually nothing at launch.But sustainability remains elusive. A full-page print advertisement once generated US$4,000.
Digital ads, by contrast, “arrive in cents.”For large operations employing over a thousand people, this math doesn’t work. Mambo’s prescription: diversification beyond advertising into new revenue streams.His message to digital entrepreneurs was clear: innovation must encompass business models, not just content.
NetOne’s Pivot Richard Mahomva, NetOne’s Head of Public Relations, described data as “the resource and product we control” – one capable of unleashing local content creators’ full potential.Significantly, NetOne has chosen to engage digital platforms first, bypassing traditional media hierarchies and acknowledging online journalism’s reach among youth and across demographics.
The initiative enjoys backing from the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, aligning with National Development Strategy 2 priorities including digital transformation and national image-building.As Zimbabwe’s media landscape continues its digital evolution, the question is no longer whether online journalism has arrived – but whether infrastructure and investment can keep pace with innovation.
