Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Desk Editor
ZIMBABWE is set to host the Broadcasters Convention of Southern Africa and the 31st Annual General Meeting of the Southern Africa Broadcasting Association (SABA) in Victoria Falls from the 28th to the 30th of this month.
The high-level meeting will bring together players in the broadcasting sector from across the region and beyond to deliberate on industry growth, best practices, and opportunities for collaboration.
Running under the theme ‘Content, Connectivity, Collaboration, Transforming Africa’s Broadcast Media Landscape in the AI Era,’ the convention will focus on strengthening partnerships and enhancing the quality of broadcasting across the region.
SABA president, Mr Stanley Similo, said collaboration with the United Nations and monitoring progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be among key agenda items.
“Part of what we are doing is linked to the SDGs in collaboration with the United Nations within the SADC region. We’ve agreed that several countries, including Namibia and Seychelles, will model programmes around the SDGs to assess progress in this area. At the executive level, we’ll also take stock of how we are driving SABA as an entity that continues to improve broadcasting across the region,” he said.
Mr Similo added that SABA continues to strengthen technical and content exchange initiatives among member countries.
“If I use the Eye on SADC programme as an example, we are pleased with the progress so far. In Namibia and Angola, for instance, we already have joint radio programmes that run twice a week. These collaborations are a testament to how well our relationships have grown,” he said.
SABA is also rolling out several new projects aimed at promoting inclusivity and professional excellence within the media sector.
“We are enhancing the participation of women in media and introducing an awards system to recognise journalists and programme makers across the region. Preparations for the Victoria Falls meeting are well advanced, with all Director Generals, CEOs, and Managing Directors from member organisations expected to attend alongside our technical partners,” he revealed.
The Southern Africa Broadcasting Association brings together public broadcasters from across the region, with content creators and industry partners also expected to participate in this year’s landmark convention in Victoria Falls.
