By Staff Reporter
BULAWAYO – The Government has declared an end to what it described as the era of passive broadcasting, unveiling plans to pursue digital sovereignty and reduce Zimbabwe’s dependence on foreign technology platforms.
Speaking at the Annual Broadcasters Conference 2026 at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) on Wednesday, Chief Director in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Jonathan Gandari said Zimbabwe must build its own resilient digital infrastructure or risk becoming irrelevant in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Gandari was representing Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Soda Zhemu, who was attending Parliamentary business.
“The old way of broadcasting in Zimbabwe, the old way is coming to an end. The comfortable, passive era of media consumption is over.
“We stand at a critical digital crossroads. With that, we either adapt or we become irrelevant. We either sink or we swim,” Gandari said.
The conference, co-hosted by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), is running under the theme “Shaping the Future of Broadcasting: Sustainability, Innovation and Collaborative Regulation.”
Wednesday’s discussions focused on policy leadership, regulation and industry sustainability.
Gandari said Government was pursuing a strategy aimed at reducing reliance on external digital platforms and strengthening local broadcasting infrastructure.
“We need to dismantle dependence and build a self-reliant broadcasting powerhouse for our citizens.
“The Minister says he has a blueprint to make sure that there is total digital sovereignty. We are turning our eyes to collaborative, like-minded nations and institutions to secure our nation’s future,” he said.
He warned that countries without their own digital platforms risk surrendering control of their data and communications to foreign technology companies.
“Digital colonisation often describes a state as a nation without their own platforms becoming mere data farms for foreign digital giant chips. Everything you do, everything you convey is through other people’s platforms, you need Facebook, you need TikTok, you need Instagram.
“We refuse to let Zimbabwe be colonised in cyberspace. Global communication trends show that infrastructure control is synonymous with technology,” Gandari said.
Gandari challenged academics and researchers to play a more active role in developing local technological solutions, including algorithms tailored to Zimbabwe’s cultural and linguistic realities.
“Your role is not merely to observe this shift. Your role is to engineer local configurations to ensure digital sovereignty.
“Focus on practical applications, patented solutions and contribute directly to national development and nationally strengthened ideological self-reliance,” he told delegates.
Gandari also urged students to embrace innovation and emerging technologies, while calling on investors to support the transformation of the country’s broadcasting sector.
“The frontier is open,” he said.
Gandari linked the proposed reforms to Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 development agenda, describing the modernisation of the media sector as a nation-building exercise.
“As our forebears built Great Zimbabwe, stone upon stone, so we are being charged to build Zimbabwe, particularly build the media, brick upon brick.
“Let us modernise our systems and build a world-class new powerhouse,” he said.
The conference continues on Thursday with discussions on innovation and collaborative regulation, with delegates expected to explore strategies for implementing the country’s digital transformation agenda.
