Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE future of African broadcasting is being shaped here this week as the Broadcasters Convention-Southern Africa 2025 officially commenced, drawing key industry players from across the region to a three-day summit focused on innovation and collaboration.
Being held under the theme: Content, Connectivity, Collaboration- Transforming Africa’s Broadcast Media Landscape in the AI Era, the convention is set to tackle the most pressing opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
The event is being hosted by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and convened by Broadcast Media Africa in partnership with the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA).
In an interview on Tuesday morning, ZBC Chief Executive Officer Mr Sugar Chagonda expressed great enthusiasm for the event.
“We are as ZBC in collaboration with our Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services happy to be hosting SABA, which is a convention of Southern Africa Broadcasting Association Conference
“So I think it is a grand opportunity that has been given to Zimbabwe to host this premier event, which is a convergence of great minds in terms of the broadcasting industry,” said Mr Chagonda.
The convention has successfully gathered a wide spectrum of stakeholders crucial to the media ecosystem.
“We have got policy makers, we have got media practitioners, key members in the broadcasting ecosystem. They are here discussing various issues and critical aspects affecting the industry, as well as also looking at opportunities which are there,” he said.
A central objective of the summit is to foster stronger ties and knowledge-sharing among broadcasters.
Mr Chagonda highlighted the importance of creating synergies and strategic partnerships as broadcasting companies and corporates, emphasizing that while approaches may differ, the industry is united in its goals.
A significant focus of the discussions will be the integration of cutting-edge technology.
“One critical area is artificial intelligence. We also need to see how best we can incorporate artificial intelligence in our business, the answers are here, the answers are with the delegates,” he said.
He said the ZBC looks forward to productive engagements over the next three days, aiming to chart a collaborative path forward for a dynamic and rapidly evolving broadcasting sector.
