Category: Media
DStv partners Peacock to take on Netflix, does that even move you?
We just touched on the challenges that Multichoice faces in its home country of South Africa. Tough economic conditions mean more and more users are starting to look at DStv as a luxury. When you couple that with load-shedding which means most hours of the day people cannot even enjoy that luxury, it is no […]
Load-shedding and financially struggling users are negatively affecting DStv, even in SA
Running a successful business is no easy task, most companies fail. Running a successful business in Africa requires prayer and fasting. The once-beloved DStv is engaged in so many fights at once, one wonders how it’s still standing. Only a few years ago, DStv lost 230,000 Zimbabwean customers in just 6 months. They said it […]
Netflix introducing new anti-password sharing measures soon, your mooching days are over
It was promised and as the months rolled by we forgot it was coming. We have been rudely reminded that it’s coming and that it’s almost here. Our days of sharing Netflix passwords are numbered. It was almost a year ago that Netflix, the video streaming service, announced that they would be cracking down on […]
[Update] Another Zimbabwean station, NRTV, launches on DStv today
It was just the other day when we were talking about 3Ktv and how it’s apparently beating out South African channels in Zimbabwe. That is great to see. Like the channel or not, some people are clearly getting their entertainment itch scratched there. In the discussion, some in our community felt ZTN was better than […]
3ktv is beating South African channels in Zimbabwe, big deal or nah?
There is something about consuming something Zimbabwean, whether it be physical or digital. You get this weird patriotic feeling that is hard to explain. You almost always know that you probably could have had some foreign alternative that would most likely have been better but for some reason, the local product satisfies more. Thanks for […]
Kakic Universe – An animation studio founded by the youngest lecturer at MSU
This is the story of Kudakwashe Maxwell, a self-taught animator who built a business around animation. His latest creation, Journey of the forsaken, is an animated series based on a true-life story that looks at how it’s hard for vulnerable young men to get emotional support just because they are male and the consequences that […]
Buddie Beatz has had an unimpressive 2 million downloads in 10 years, do you use the service?
I love music. It’s the one art form I consume the most, by a mile. I could not have picked a better time to be alive as a music lover. Streaming has put millions of songs from all across the world in my ear. This is nuts and I’m old enough to remember when this […]
Zimbabwe’s first ever musical animated series coming to a YouTube near you
If there is anything we share, it is our pride in being Zimbabwean. Listen, I know, sometimes we are ashamed of our country. But that’s like being ashamed when a sibling does a stupid thing in public. You still love them despite the embarrassment. I listen to music, like a lot. I put in at […]
Stranger Things season 4 wracked up 1 billion watch hours, could it save Netflix’s subscriber slump?
Stranger Things is now the most popular English language Netflix series according to a report by the Hollywood Reporter. The show which had its finale over the weekend wracked up 1.15 billion hours of view time in its first 28 days on the platform. This puts it second to the hit Korean show Squid Game, […]
King Kandoro shares more about Mukoma Bruce, Zimbabwe’s Batman or the ghetto caped crusader
Zimbabwean comedian and online content creator King Kandoro recently dropped a trailer for a Mukoma Bruce, a local adaptation of what it would be like if Batman was Zimbabwean. I’m a DC fanboy and this piqued my interest. Batman is, after all, one of the most popular comic book characters even though he comes off […]
Netflix, Amazon & ESPN+ fighting for F1 rights. Great and all but EPL is life…
It was just a matter of time wasn’t it until Netflix went for live sports. According to a report by Business Insider, the world’s biggest streaming service is looking to add the Formula 1 Championship to its slate of programming. Netflix isn’t the only media company that has thrown its hat in the ring, Disney-owned […]
Local startup puts TVs on people’s satchels, literally taking ads to the streets
They say there are many ways to skin a cat. I don’t know why you would ever have to skin a cat but apparently there’s more than one way to do it. One startup has a new and interesting way to skin the cat that is advertising. VisionStrike is a startup looking to provide ‘exceptional […]
ZBC CEO “rules with an iron fist” as employees reject new job evaluation system
There was drama at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) as CEO Adelaide Chikunguru was said to have stormed out of a meeting with employees according to a report by New Zimbabwe. The issue stems from the introduction of the Paterson Job Evaluating System which essentially places job decision-making into six groups or bands which are […]
Holding OpenView decoders makes you liable to arrest. Why do Zimbabweans still do it?
I think in some crazy way, entertainment is a human right. Whilst I have the superhero skill of being able to sit in the dark, doing nothing and thinking about even less happily, I still appreciate a good book, an intense thriller or an experimental album. Once you have watched a series like Yellowstone and […]
Young, Famous and African a hit for Netflix. Good to see the competition rage even if its reality TV
I am going to be honest with you, I don’t really watch reality TV. Don’t know why I said ‘really’, I don’t watch reality TV at all. I’d rather stare at the sun but to each their own. The stuff that I watch would probably bore the life out of most though. So, this is […]
Multichoice (DStv) changes mind, won’t close Joina City branch after all
It was only a few weeks ago that Multichoice (DStv) announced that they would be closing their Joina City branch. We are only three days from the date that they were supposed to shut their doors. Alas, the branch won’t be closed after all. The original closure announcement: MultiChoice Zimbabwe will be closing its Harare […]
The control of information flow by American tech companies during Russia-Ukraine war is scary
We are living in the Information Age. When I first heard that term, I thought it was cute and did not think much about its implications. The past few years, and the first two and half months of 2022 especially, have revealed what the information age really entails. The information age started in the mid […]
Netflix says don’t share your password, instead pay only $2.99 for an extra member
Just last month there was an outcry when Multichoice (DStv) cracked down on password sharing. Such is the challenge that streaming services face. People want to be able to stream on more than one device. Streaming services therefore allow users to stream on different devices using the same account. The rationale being that when at […]
Local music streaming service wins promoter of the year at the NAMAs
Zimbabwean Pay-Per-View platform Gateway Stream Music was named the Promoter of the Year 2022 at the prestigious National Arts Merits Awards (NAMA) held last week. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, for whatever reason, Gateway Stream was the platform that got the exclusive rights to debut Jah Prayzah’s 2021 album “Gwara”. “Promoter of the […]
Why is Multichoice (DStv) closing its Joina City branch?
You heard the news, Multichoice Zimbabwe will be closing its Joina City customer care centre on the 21st of March 2022. The notice: MultiChoice Zimbabwe will be closing its Harare city centre office in Joina City on the 21st of March 2022. The customer care centre in Avondale will continue to provide a full range […]
Content creators! Solution Centre is running a DaVinci Resolve Video Editing Bootcamp
Solution Centre Zimbabwe is running The Beginner’s Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17, the official Blackmagic Design Training and Certification course that teaches editors, artists and students how to edit, composite, colour correct, and mix audio in DaVinci Resolve. All you need is a Mac or Windows computer capable of running the software, the free download version […]
DStv to restrict users to streaming on one device at a time
Multichoice has a convoluted streaming strategy. You really have to comb through all their offerings to decide on the best streaming package for you. For some of us who are football lovers, Showmax Pro is a good option even though it lacks Champions League football. However, if you also love Formula 1 like I do, […]
New project aimed at supporting young Zimbabwean creatives launched
Kay Media Africa and UK-based Reprezent Radio are collaborating to deliver Scripts and Bars, a digital content creation project that brings together 100 creatives from Zimbabwe and UK to collaborate across the Music and Literature sectors. The project is supported by British Council in partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). This […]
How I installed Azam TV; a breeze if still have a Kwese dish
Me being me I thought it was a bright idea to save a couple of bucks and do the Azam TV installation myself. I mean I have done about five successful Dstv installations in the five or so places I have moved to, so simple stuff… Or so I thought. I am going to preface […]
Dstv package prices are going in up SA, are we next?
Multichoice has announced that DStv package prices are going up in South Africa. The price “adjustment” is a 2.7% uptick across all packages starting from April 1st 2022 and here are the new prices… “We realise that customers remain under pressure two years into the Covid-19 pandemic. These adjustments will help us to ensure that […]
MISA writes letter to ZBC urging fair coverage during elections
The Media Institute for Southern Africa Zimbabwe (MISA) has written a letter to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) urging the state broadcaster to provide equal coverage during the elections. MISA’s letter to the ZBC on elections reads as follows. Ms Adelaide ChikunguruThe Chief Executive OfficerZimbabwe Broadcasting CorporationHG44 HighlandsHarareZimbabwe Dear Madam, Ref: Request for implementation plan […]
US$5 for 100 channels, will AzamTV dethrone DStv in Zimbabwe?
AzamTV has launched in Zimbabwe and is coming in with some really interesting deals. Chief among them is the basement bargain of US$5 for 100 channels which is cheaper than DSTv’s lowest package (Lite) which goes for US$8.00 for 25 plus channels. Here are all of the packages and the channels on offer Package Price […]
You can now download Pindula’s data free news app via WhatsApp
Our friends over at Pindula have been hearing from their readers that they don’t have access to the Play Store or that downloading an app from there is difficult. The biggest reason is that many Zimbabweans are locked in WhatsApp bundles so getting any application requires a general data bundle or Wi-Fi which are both […]
DStv’s Showmax has a 10% discount if you pay using a Mastercard
Multichoice has been trying its very best in the streaming wars. Over the years it has had a number of promotions aimed at enticing people to consider signing up for the service. The pick of the bunch was the “pay for one month for the price of three” promotion that ran last year during the […]
Aspiring Filmmakers! Apply for Netflix’s US$1 mil scholarship
Netflix, the world’s biggest streaming service, has pledged US$1 million to film and television students in Sub Saharan Africa. The endowment is being done through Netflix’s Creative Equity Scholarship Fund which was launched last year. “Netflix is excited by the potential of the next generation of storytellers and we’re committed to investing in the future […]