Stanley Sakupwanya, a Member of Parliament of the Manicaland Youth Caucus, has said content creators in Zimbabwe face significant challenges in monetizing their content directly into Zimbabwean bank accounts. He attributes these challenges to the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by Western countries. In a recent speech in the Zimbabwean Parliament, Stanley Sakupanywa discussed the challenges faced by content creators in the country. Sakupwanya said:

Today, we live in a technology-driven global society which has veered from the traditional media streams as sources of information and entertainment, having transcended to social media through social networks such as Facebook, YouTube and “X” formerly known as Twitter.

          Content creators from Zimbabwe have been disadvantaged as they are unable to monetise their content directly into Zimbabwean bank accounts and this is a direct result of sanctions. For as long as you want to use a Zimbabwean bank account, you will be unable to monetise your views on social media networks, something which can be easily done in South Africa. This results in our young creative minds being forced to leave the country for them to attain value for their shared content on the global social networks. Should we therefore keep quiet when a deliberate brain-drain is caused by sanctions? No way!

          Madam Speaker, as we speak to the effect of sanctions, it must be noted that these have a negative bearing as well on our ability to export. I come from a province where many indigenous farmers have embarked on farming macadamia nuts. While the global price for macadamia nuts is going up, our farmers are put in a choke-hold because the European channel of export has been closed off to them due to sanctions for the simple reason that if you produce macadamia nuts from a land reform farm, then the produce is not taken up by the EU market. This means our ability to compete fairly on the global market is hammered and this is an infringement to our rights as global citizens.

Journalist Plot Mhako points out additional obstacles faced by content creators in Zimbabwe. These include the financial situation, difficulties in obtaining Visa, Mastercard, or Paypal accounts, and unreliable postal services. For example, YouTube requires a physical letter with an activation code to complete the monetization registration process, which can be challenging to receive in Zimbabwe. He said:

In Zimbabwe, for an artist to monetize their content comes with several limitations. The financial situation is the first barrier. To get a Visa, Mastercard or a Paypal account is a difficult thing to secure. Banks offer pre-paid Visa / Mastercards that are not eligible for YouTube monetization configuration. Secondly, the postal service is less reliable. A letter may take ages to reach you or may never arrive. Once you complete the YouTube registration process, YouTube has to send a physical letter with a code which activates your Adsense account. This makes it difficult for a content creator/artist to complete the YouTube Partnership application for the monetization registration process unless they have a willing friend or relative, collaborator or distributor in the diaspora.

Edwin Chabuka, an editor at Techzim, said the focus is difficulty for local content creators to monetize. He told Pindula News:

With X (formerly Twitter), Zimbabwe is not yet supported for monetization. You will have to change the account country to one that is not Zimbabwe.

Not all Zimbabwean-issued Visa and Mastercards will work as forms of receiving payment. An alternative is PayPal but…
Zimbabwean PayPal accounts can only make payments but they cannot receive payments. For receiving payments you need an account that is from a non-sanctioned country. Also, PayPal is a wallet similar to EcoCash so it’s not universally supported by freelance platforms or social media platforms with monetization features.

The challenges faced by content creators in Zimbabwe are not unique to the country. Filmmakers in Botswana, for instance, encounter limitations in monetizing their content on YouTube due to regional intellectual property restrictions, inability to meet subscription thresholds, and low viewership turnout. The algorithmic bias, geo-restrictions, and economic dynamics of platforms like YouTube also contribute to the difficulties faced by content creators, not only in Zimbabwe but globally.

While sanctions have had an impact on Zimbabwe’s access to global financial systems, it is crucial to recognise that addressing the challenges faced by content creators requires a comprehensive approach. This includes implementing economic reforms, improving financial infrastructure, and formulating policies that encourage international financial integration. By addressing these broader economic and regulatory factors, Zimbabwe can create an environment that fosters the monetization of content within the country and supports a more inclusive and equitable entertainment industry.

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