The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) is the country’s national broadcaster, with roots dating back to the colonial era. Originally launched as the Southern Rhodesia Broadcasting Service (SRBS) in 1941, the entity was rebranded as the Rhodesian Broadcasting Corporation (RBC) before assuming its current name in 1980, following Zimbabwe’s independence. Television services were first introduced in 1960, making ZBC the pioneer of televised broadcasting in Sub-Saharan Africa outside South Africa.
Media assets
Television: ZBC TV, Jive TV
Radio: National FM, Radio Zimbabwe, Power FM, Classic 263, Khulumani FM, 95.8 Central Radio
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
ZBC is a government-owned private limited company established under the Broadcasting Services Act. While technically operating as a commercial entity, its governance structure reflects strong state influence: the Board of Directors is appointed by the government, following consultations with the President of Zimbabwe.
In February 2024, CEO Adelaide Chikunguru was dismissed on allegations of financial impropriety and weak corporate governance. Her removal followed tensions with Helliate Rushwaya, the newly appointed board chairperson—who also happens to be the niece of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The incident underscored longstanding concerns about politicization and internal factionalism within the broadcaster’s leadership.
A new 13-member ZBC board, chaired by Helliate Rushwaya, was formally gazetted on 13 June 2025 by Information Minister Jenfan Muswere, under the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act. The board is serving for a four-year term. Initial announcements of certain board members surfaced earlier, in January 2024, with additional appointments in July 2024 and February 2025, but these were only fully confirmed and officially endorsed by the Government Gazette on 13 June 2025.
Source of funding & budget
ZBC relies on a mixed funding model comprising:
- License fees paid by households
- Advertising revenue
- Ad hoc government subsidies to plug financial shortfalls
Despite its public funding mandate, license fee compliance is exceedingly low—with only around 10% of Zimbabweans reportedly paying. In 2019, the broadcaster projected revenue of ZWL 220 million (US$ 607,000) from license fees but collected just ZWL 10 million. Advertising brought in another ZWL 34 million.
In 2020, ZBC’s board publicly urged the government to reinstate direct budgetary support, arguing that the broadcaster could not operate as a commercially viable entity under the existing conditions. While a license fee hike was introduced in January 2021, aimed at covering 80% of ZBC’s operational budget, the financial situation remained dire.
By late 2021, ZBC had accumulated debts of ZWL 66 million, prompting the Parliamentary Media Committee to request that the government absorb the broadcaster’s liabilities.
A 2022–2025 strategic plan laid out an ambitious vision for ZBC to return to profitability and start paying dividends by the end of 2025. While there were claims in September 2022 that revenue collection had improved—with reported year-to-date income of ZWL 1.4 billion (approx. US$ 3.8 million)—financial sustainability remains elusive.
In May 2024, an MP floated a proposal to transfer responsibility for license fee collection from ZBC to the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ)—a move some interpret as an effort to depoliticize revenue enforcement. However, no legislative action has followed. Meanwhile, civil society organizations and opposition figures have intensified calls for the abolition of the license fee altogether, citing poor service delivery and overt political bias.
No direct appropriation line for ZBC was found in the publicly available 2024 national or sectoral budget documents. In 2024, ZBC continued to heavily lean on revenue from license fees and advertising, supplemented by government subsidies, yet no official budget figure has been published. Ahead of its 2025 budget, the Treasury received requests totaling over ZWL 700 billion for media-related needs—including ZBC . However, the final gazetted government budget did not disclose specific amounts earmarked for ZBC in 2025.
Separately, a high-profile legislative move in May 2025 introduced a radio levy on motorists, projected to raise over USD 110 million—or around ZWL 1.4 billion—for ZBC, but this represents projected revenue rather than an official budget allocation.
Editorial independence
ZBC has long been viewed as a mouthpiece for the ruling Zanu PF party, with widespread allegations of partisan reporting and editorial manipulation. Its programming overwhelmingly favors government narratives, often sidelining opposition voices and dissenting opinions.
The lack of statutory safeguards or independent editorial oversight mechanisms leaves ZBC open to political interference. In several documented instances, the High Court of Zimbabwe has even recognized ZBC’s lack of impartiality. Judicial scrutiny ramped up in 2025, with the Supreme Court admonishing ZBC for failing to maintain editorial impartiality, reinforcing earlier High Court findings demanding fair party representation.
Despite a veneer of strategic reform, no tangible steps have been taken to establish institutional checks on editorial integrity. As of June 2025, there is still no statute, public accountability mechanism, or independent regulator tasked with validating or enforcing ZBC’s editorial independence.
June 2025