Kwese TV launches in Botswana with no hiccups

Leonard Sengere Avatar

At the end of June 2017, Kwese TV and three other TV providers were licensed in Botswana. This was after they applied for licences when public notice for bidding was released early this year. The four companies join Star Times and Mediacore Botswana to make it six TV providers licensed in just two years. It does not end there too, more applicants are being assessed and are yet to be licensed.

Kwese TV however had been somewhat available in Botswana since March as Kwese Free Sport, like what we have in Zimbabwe right now. This launch however brings the full Kwese TV service to consumers to the country. As we now know, Kwese is available on multiple platforms, linear TV, mobile and digital broadcasting, free-to-air TV, web streaming and satellite TV being the major access-ways.

In Botswana Kwese TV is now available on all platforms. If the rest of Africa where Kwese TV has been available for a while is to go by, the satellite TV option will be the most popular. The monthly subscription price is the equivalent of about US$29 and about US$50 for the decoder, dish kit and installation.

Back home in Zimbabwe, Kwese TV is still not yet available and Dr Dish, the would be distributors of the service took the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) to court in an attempt to reverse their licence cancellation. It will probably be a while before we see Kwese TV on our screens. BAZ, unlike their Batswana counterparts are not quick to dish out licences. In any case, Econet Media never applied for a licence in Zimbabwe. Why is that?

Yet again, another African country gets Kwese whilst Zimbabweans, who have a sense of ownership of the TV service are still in the cold. What do you think about all this? Do we even need Kwese TV here? Should Econet Media just apply for their own licence? Let us know what you think.

10 comments

  1. Anonymous

    A corrupt Zimbabwe is one of the most difficult places to do business in the world. Behind the scenes, Kwese Tv has been subjected to multiple extortions no doubt. It will take another ‘Joshua’ to have Kwese TV licensed. Zimbabwe will probably be better off when all these so called war veteran generation is gone out power. The mercenaries are just here to milk the country dry by all means.

  2. Never

    Kwese TV should apply for their own license

    1. Fatso

      I agree. Kwese Tv should just simply apply for a license and come out guns blazing

  3. Cheated

    Agreed kwese is just trying to avoid paying the license… If they never applied in the first place what do they expect.. I suspect this is a week calculated plan…. How can Dr dish get a licence but kwese no

  4. Imi Vanhu Musadaro

    If you really want Kwese TV, move to Botswana! 😉

  5. Murombedzi

    Im not a guru in Law but from my layman reading of the Broadcasting Act, one does not just work up to apply for a licence. Licence applications for Broadcasting in the country (be it community radios, tv etc) are by invitation that is, they are initiated by authorities (regulators) by invitation. I stand guided by Law gurus there.

    1. sherrif

      You are very correct

    2. Wrngai

      But why would one need a licence for satellite signal which can spill over into another area? Kwese if available via internet and satellite will be available in Zimbabwe anyway

      1. sue

        Its just like asking Youtube to get an operating license in Zimbabwe

  6. REUBEN

    Does DSTV have a licence in Zim? Or do we not just point our dishes at their satellite..

    What happens if i pay In Botswana and point my dish in Zim?
    Like some people pay for DSTV in SA and watch in Zim?

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