Story by John Nhandara
THE Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has entered a strategic partnership with DStv Zimbabwe to begin broadcasting its content in High Definition (HD) on the DStv platform with immediate effect, marking a major milestone in the national broadcaster’s digital transformation programme.
The agreement ends years of technical limitations that saw programmes produced in HD being downscaled to Standard Definition (SD) for transmission, allowing DStv subscribers to enjoy significantly improved picture quality.
Head of Corporate Affairs and Public Relations at DStv Zimbabwe, Mr Gerald Ngonyamo said the partnership enhances the viewing experience for audiences.
“ZBC has been broadcasting on the DStv platform since 2005, and what this means is we are going to have improved picture quality on the DStv platform as a result of this collaboration,” he said.
ZBC Chief Executive Officer Mr Sugar Chagonda described the development as an important achievement for both the broadcaster and its viewers.
“We are very happy that there has been a strategic intervention from our strategic partner, DStv. Our engagements have yielded positive results because all along we have been packaging our content in high definition, but it was being broadcast in standard definition. Now we continue to produce in high definition, and it is also being distributed in high definition. This is something good, and we are celebrating this milestone as ZBC. It is definitely good news for our viewers,” he said.
Meanwhile, ZBC is set to officially launch its Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platform, Z+, on Thursday as it expands its digital footprint.
Mr Chagonda said the platform reflects the broadcaster’s commitment to embracing changing audience habits and technological innovation.
“ZBC is being responsive, especially in terms of digital evolution. The future of broadcasting is digital. We have developed an OTT platform, and it has been performing well during the testing phase. We are now officially launching it, which means our viewers and listeners will be able to access our platforms on their mobile phones, and that is quite critical,” he said.
The HD rollout on DStv and the launch of the Z+ streaming platform form part of ZBC’s broader digitalisation strategy aimed at delivering higher-quality content across multiple platforms while meeting the evolving demands of modern audiences.
