Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services has issued a clarion call for broadcasters across the Southern African region to harmonise regulations and collaborate to create a powerful, integrated media market capable of competing with global giants.
Permanent Secretary, Mr Nick Mangwana said this while addressing delegates at the ongoing Broadcasting Convention — Southern Africa 2025, which commenced in Victoria Falls on Tuesday.
Mr Mangwana argued that the current fragmented approach, where media products are confined to national borders, renders individual countries economically weak in the face of international streaming services and broadcast networks.
He framed the argument around the region’s collective demographic strength, juxtaposed with the limitations of individual national markets.
“So, our region is consisting of 16 countries. Some of the countries in the region have populations of about 1.2 million people.
“This country you are in has a population of about 16 million people and of course, countries like the DRC have 100 million people. But in the region, as a continent or as a block, we have a population between 340 million and 400 million,” said Mr Mangwana.
When media products are consumed only within their country of origin, he stated, the market is so shy and broadcasters become powerless.
However, he presented a vision of a transformed industry where content circulates freely across the region.
“Should there be a situation where the media products of each of our countries are consumed in all the countries in the region, then it means we are accessing a very big market and we become a very big force,” he said, citing Al Jazeera’s dominance in the Middle East as a successful model of regional media consolidation.
Mr Mangwana, however, identified the primary obstacle to this vision being a lack of regulatory harmony. He said a product acceptable in one country may be rejected in another due to differing national standards, stifling cross-border trade in media content.
He revealed that efforts are underway at a continental level through the African Free Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to harmonise media regulation.
Highlighting the need for regional solidarity, Mr Mangwana said at a recent meeting in Ghana, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe presented a united front, while another country in the Southern African region consistently diverged, creating friction.
“But us in the region, when we say this is our position, the first country to disagree would be a country in our region of origin. That is a problem,” he said.
Mr Mangwana warned that this regulatory disunity creates grey areas that are exploited by international Over-The-Top (OTT) services like Netflix and Showmax.
He argued that these platforms are drawing audiences and revenue away from local broadcasters, often without being subject to local taxation or content quotas.
“Right now, we have streaming services coming into our different jurisdictions. That money is given to the country. Most of your countries are not taxing those products. So they are just coming to take money,” he said.
Citing Zimbabwe’s recent move to regulate OTT platforms, Mr Mangwana challenged other nations to align their policies.
He questioned the efficacy of bilateral Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), such as those the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe has with Botswana and Namibia, suggesting they are insufficient.
“We have told you what we are doing. Can you tell us what you are thinking as well? And we reach a common position. And I do not believe this can be done bilaterally. I do not think it is enough,” he said.
He called for a collective regional strategy to ensure that Southern African broadcasters are not left behind in the global media landscape.
