shloboe boe
Tichaona Zindoga
THREE months ago, Zimbabwe’s largest media companies, Zimpapers and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) as well as the news agency, New Ziana, signed Memoranda of Understandimg with the China Media Group.
The MoUs were part of 17 bilateral cooperation agreements signed between Zimbabwe and China on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) Summit held in Beijing, and the leaders of the two nations, Presidents Mnangagwa and Xi Jinping, witnessed the ceremonies.
The broad objective of the MoUs is to further broaden the channels of cultural exchanges between China and Zimbabwe and consolidate the traditional friendship between China and Zimbabwe.
The parties agreed to carry out pragmatic cooperation in content exchange, joint program production, personnel exchanges and technical exchanges, so as to contribute media power to consolidate the traditional friendship between China and Zimbabwe and promote the cultural exchanges and bilateral relations between the two countries to a new level.
In the larger context, China and African countries agreed that press and media cooperation was an important component of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, with great significance for promoting mutual understanding between the Chinese and African people. The two sides undertook to strengthening exchanges and dialogue, and deepen the cooperation on press and communications, so as to better tell the story of China-Africa friendship and showcase the fruitful results of their cooperation.
Among various commitments, China undertook to facilitate the development of the audiovisual industry of both sides through ways including programme exchanges, joint production, technical cooperation, mutual visits and personnel training. It also pledged to support the construction of the Converged Media Center of Africa, and will work with the African side to open children channels and carry out joint production of films and TV programmes as well as support the African side in upgrading its audiovisual facilities, training media personnel, and preserving Africa’s historical audiovisual archives.
China will build platforms for media communications and cultural exchanges in Africa to boost the integrated development of African media. It will continue to implement the China-Africa Press Centre Programme and hold workshops and training programmes for African media personnel. All this presents a window of opportunity for local industry.
China has already initiated the Belt and Road News Network and supports the capacity building of African television, radio and other media groups, encourages exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and African people working in new media and personal media, and supports cooperation between Chinese and African Internet influencers, so as to produce more high-quality works.
The Asian giant offered to hold various activities including exhibitions of Chinese programmes and China-Africa film salons, organise mutual visits between news, radio, TV and film professionals, as well as hosting international film festivals while introducing more Chinese and African films into each other’s market.
China’s media sector
China’s media sector is humongous and multilayered; an advanced high-tech industry that produces high-impact content with huge significance economically, politically and socially, extending beyond China.
There are various players at local, provincial and national levels, who are innovative in various media offerings and forms, including advertising, marketing, digital and social media. China is the birthplace of TikTok, and has thousands of homegrown social media platforms that equate and rival Western platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Snapchat, and so on.
E-commerce platforms add to another layer of media, and they represent a revolutionary way to buy and sell goods and services using non-traditional channels; something particularly interesting given how local media have seen its advertising and marketing being terminally undercut by digital and social media platforms.
China, of course, has a huge population which means that there is a ready audience and market, which African countries, including Zimbabwe could rival; rather, the latter need to take lessons on best practices and models that work. But that is not the only currency or advantage it has: the media entities are driven by innovation and pushing relevant content for their markets from hyperlocal to international audiences.
Use of the Chinese language is to all intents and purposes, one of the key pillars of the media growth and culture industries.
The China Media Group (CMG) is in itself a behemoth media establishment, formed in 2018 through the merger of China Central Television (CCTV), China National Radio (CNR), and China Radio International (CRI). Its impressive portfolio includes operating 49 television channels – 26 free channels, 17 pay channels, and 6 international channels. The China Global Television Network, which now rivals global channels such as CNN and BBC,is also owned by CMG, and broadcasts in multiple languages to a global audience.
The radio broadcast division of CMG, has 17 radio frequency bands targeting Chinese audiences and radio programming in 44 languages for international listeners.
In print media and news agencies, the group has 17 newspapers and periodicals with nationwide circulation while it runs an international news agency providing video news services to over 3 800 media organisations in 138 countries. This is consolidated by a strong digital and online presence that includes several major news websites, a variety of mobile applications and social media, both China’s own local platforms and international social media platforms.
Other ventures that CMG is involved in include cultural tourism and project development, offering technology solutions for various industries, including the automotive sector.
The size, scale and strength of CMG has obvious and self-evident advantages and opportunities for local media, and it is incumbent upon the Zimbabwean side to seize the opportunity to tap into the cooperation with Chinese counterparts.
There is no doubt the deal by CMG and local players could transform Zimbabwe’s media industry in a revolutionary way and absorb other players, journalists and media workers at a time the local sector is facing immense challenges relating to employment opportunities, sustainability and challenges occasioned by the proliferation of social media and economic challenges.
Implentation
They say the taste of the pudding is in the eating.
The local side has to be savvy and up to the task, too. Like in other cooperation frameworks, partners look for value and pragmatic outcomes. Zimbabwe, and the entities involved, must institute mechanisms and measures to operationalise these agreements so as to harness the immense potential presented by them.
We can hardly afford to miss out, or allow the agreements to gather dust somewhere without implementing them fully. It is a tragedy when bilateral agreements and cooperation frameworks are treated as mere pieces of paper and ceremonies with empty promises; events that pass and go.
This applies to other pacts entered into with other countries throughout the years, particularly under the Second Republic policy of engagement and re-engament. Media cooperation allows Zimbabwe to gain new audiences, new technologies and skills as well as assist Zimbabwe to project soft power in the national interest.
On the other hand, the media industry in general — including the private sector — could explore opportunities to collaborate with China so as to benefit media and cultural workers, including thousands more that are being churned out by our universities and colleges every year.
Tichaona Zindoga is the Director of Ruzivo Media and Resource Centre, a think tank that analyses local and global issues.
