By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Jenfan Muswere said content creation can develop into a million-dollar industry and a source of sustainable employment for young people.
Addressing content creators at a two-day workshop held by Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) in Kadoma Thursday, Minister Muswere challenged content creators to produce quality local content which can be monetised.
“I would like to challenge all online content creators to have a global outlook and focus on the wider international market by creating world class local content, which can be monetised while putting the country on the world map.
“I believe that, once capacitated, content creation can develop into a million-dollar industry and can be the source of sustainable employment for young people,” Muswere said.
“Zimbabwe is our mother land and the best picture of this nation can only be painted by you, the content creators.
“There are no better placed people to showcase our country to the international community than all of you gathered here.
“Let us use the power of the information age to build this country through the creation and dissemination of world class content.”
He said the fact that most content creators in Zimbabwe were media practitioners created an opportunity to empower and strengthen local communities with daily news and updates on local issues and this information is key to the empowerment of local communities.
“It is true that information is power and indeed an informed community, which is alive to current affairs is an empowered community.
“We would certainly like to see local communities accessing local news as well as news from other districts at Community Information Centres as we turn these sites into local content hubs.
“Locals can be trained to gather and upload news, which news can even be accessed data free. Such is the empowerment we expect from this local content creation project,” he said.
He said content was a major trading commodity on the digital market space and a huge contributor to the digital economy.
“For people to use data, they use it on content, but people use their data on relevant and entertaining content,” he said.
Muswere said the vision of making Community Information Centres disseminate content will empower, educate and guide local people in various issues around them, while proffering solutions to local problems.
He, however, said the involvement of the local people was crucial.
“Therefore, I encourage you all, as you engage in this process of local content creation, to involve local stakeholders such as the traditional leadership and community leadership to also get their expectations in terms of local content.
“Involvement of such key stakeholders will make it easier to get their buy in of the project as they would have a sense of ownership,” he said.
“This would make it easy for local content to be accepted by the generality of the communities.”
About Author
