TellZim News, a news company based in Zimbabwe, has been adapting its news distribution methods to incorporate social media over the past three years. 

In a country with a history of media repression and restrictive legislation, TellZim has found ways to transition from a traditional news sheet to a robust online presence. Passmore Kuzipa, editor-in-chief of TellZim News, shared his company’s journey with attendees at the recent INMA Africa News Media Summit.

Zimbabwe’s media landscape has historically been challenging for private media due to state control and repressive laws. However, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 significantly shifted this landscape, encouraging the use of online platforms as people stayed indoors during lockdowns. 

“As a result, [people] tended to rely on online platforms as their traditional means of communication … but we realised that social media was bringing in new opportunities,” Kuzipa said. 

This environment allowed more online publications to emerge, and TellZim began expanding its presence beyond just Facebook and a Web site:

Strategies on social media platforms

TellZim has leveraged social media platforms and messaging apps to build a community of readers and advertisers. Initially, growing an online audience was difficult, but the segmentation of content according to social media platform preferences helped overcome this challenge.

Content segmentation: “We have many different social classes in our communities,” Kuzipa said. “So as a result, they have different preferences on the social media platforms they choose.” TellZim uses social media analytics to inform content segmentation, recognising different social classes prefer different platforms. 

For example:

• Facebook and WhatsApp: Human interest stories perform well here, attracting significant engagement.

• X (formerly Twitter): This platform is more suited to serious topics like politics and economic conditions, reaching an elite audience, including government officials. X has been instrumental in engaging Zimbabwe’s elite and senior government officials. TellZim uses this platform to share content on critical issues like politics and economics, sometimes prompting quick responses from influential figures, including the president’s spokesperson.

• WhatsApp group chats: WhatsApp is the most widely used social media platform in Zimbabwe. TellZim has created over 50 WhatsApp groups, reaching over 40,000 participants, making it a vital tool for news dissemination.

• Facebook and TikTok: These platforms are used for more light-hearted, human-interest content. TellZim posts short videos and stories that resonate with the social side of life, particularly on TikTok, where humourous content attracts high engagement.

TellZim also has successfully monetised its online presence through targeted advertising. 

By sharing social media and website analytics with potential advertisers, TellZim has convinced many companies to advertise with them. They have also created innovative advertising supplements to generate revenue, such as those focused on school examination results, condolences for prominent figures, and public holidays.

Strategies for the future

Kuzipa acknowledged digital media is the future, especially with increasing internet penetration and decreasing data costs in Zimbabwe, partly due to new technologies like StarLink. 

They recognise the need to be more aggressive in growing their online audience, even as the relevance of hard copy newspapers is questioned, he said: “With the way technology is penetrating even in rural communities, where most of our audiences are very high, that in the next 2-3 years everyone will have access to these online platforms.”

Overall, TellZim News has embraced the digital shift in media distribution, using social media platforms to reach a broader audience and generate revenue through targeted advertising. They are poised to continue growing their online presence as the digital landscape in Zimbabwe evolves.

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