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MEDIA
In Zimbabwe, importing has become a culture to an extent of importing content. Around March 2020, DStv had 98 000 Subscribers in Zimbabwe (TechZim) that sounds small? In the previous year it had around 150,000 in September and 320,000 in March (chronicle.co.zw). Its subscriber’s base has been falling at a rapid rate.
Here is what happened to Kwese; around end of 0ctober 2017, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe reported over 40,000 customers and revenue around $1,96Million (Newsday) in less than a year after its launch in Zimbabwe. These stats shows Zimbabweans’ desperation for alternative affordable, quality and cheap content. I would like to believe that content was one of the factors that largely contributed to the failure of Kwese and being a third part in offering content.
Do you still remember how popular the Mukadota, Gringo and Kapfupi dramas were? You could afford buying a disk for that. Now in the digital and internet space, we have the Comic Pastor claiming his YouTube number 1 trending position monthly with his awards. Nash TV Zimbabwe, does this name sounds familiar? With its foundation firmly established during the Covid-19 pandemic, its streams for “local content” have been overwhelming regardless of expensive data packages in Zimbabwe. Should I remind you of Wadiwa Wepamoyo, a nice peace dominated by youths? All these shows Zimbabwe’s thirst for local content and who is there to consistently provide that at an affordable price?
I’m attempted to end there, however let’s appreciate the stats around the Entertainment & Media (E&M) sector in South Africa and Nigeria:
| REVENUE GENERATED FROM E&M IN 2017 | |
| SOUTH AFRICA, 2017 (RANDS, MILLIONS) | |
| Total E&M Revenue | 9799 |
| Digital E&M Revenue | 4358 |
| Non digital E&M Revenue | 5441 |
| Consumer Revenue | 7123 |
| Internet Access Revenue | 3534 |
| Advertising Revenue | 2676 |
| Largest Advertising Segment: TV and Video | 567 |
| Largest Consumer Segment: TV and Video | 1876 |
| NIGERIA, 2017 (US$ MILLIONS) | |
| Total E&M Revenue | 3761 |
| Digital E&M Revenue | 2541 |
| Non digital E&M Revenue | 1219 |
| Consumer Revenue | 3335 |
| Internet Access Revenue | 2373 |
| Advertising Revenue | 425 |
| Largest Advertising Segment: TV and Video | 156 |
| Largest Consumer Segment: TV and Video | 645 |
Source: Entertainment and media outlook: 2018 – 2022, An African perspective
The Media Sector has been doing well in surrounding countries, let’s fill in the voids in the Zimbabwe Media Sector
Some of the worth mentioning categories are:
- Books
- Business to Business
- Cinema
- Internet
- Magazines
- Music and Podcasts
- Newspapers
- Out-of-home
- Radio
- TV and Video
- Video Games
- E-sports
- Virtual Reality (VR)
I see voids millennials can fill in. probably I can say, “Media Students never feel intimidated or worthless great things awaits for you.”
AGRICULTURE
The Agricultural sector equally has voids as compared to other industrial sectors, much of the voids being from importing a lot of consumables, exporting unprocessed produce, challenges in financing an agricultural venture, lack of irrigation infrastructure and service providers among other unmentioned voids.
During the period of January-July 2019, the Agricultural Sector had at least a 2.72% contribution to Zimbabwe’s importation bill main products being: Ammonium nitrate, other insecticides and other durum wheat.
Large numbers in Cereal importation are also a matter of concern during the 2018-19 period, Zimbabwe imported cereals worth $137.4 million. This is call for the Agro-Preneurs, please feed the nation.
In fertilizer and chemicals supplies, imports largely contribute to what we use in Zimbabwe. This call for entrepreneurs in the chemical engineering field to monetize from such a big void. Alternatively, there is need to urgently foster collaboration between the Industry, Academics and Educational Institutions at large.
Around 2014, over 550,000 ha of Zimbabwe’s land is irrigable, only 33.6% or 200,000 ha is under irrigation development, with a significant number of the irrigation schemes non-functional. Due to this, the country continues to experience underutilization of existing water storages and poor harvests makes this a national matter of concern. Who else has the role to monetize from problems?
