The power of television can never be overemphasized. For the longest time in Zimbabwe, there has always been one main television channel. That has since changed as there are now more television channels opening up. 3K TV went live on the 28th of February 2022 on DSTV Channel 293. There is also Jive TV was launched on the 27th of April 2022 by Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC). On the 24th of May 2022 at 1730hrs CAT, ZTN Prime went live on DSTV Channel 294. This is refreshing to see and got me thinking about TV shows that Zimbabwe needs, let us talk about that.

Travel Vlogs

Zimbabwe is endowed with nice places to visit. Zimbabwe is acclaimed for having a long list of alluring tourist destinations. However, there is not much coverage of all those places. Travel vlogging has become a big industry over the years. There are people all over the world who have made careers out of travel vlogging. These people document their travel experiences to all sorts of interesting places. Zimbabwe is a figurative gold mine when it comes to travel vlogging. It would be nice to see content being available on travel vlogs focusing exclusively on Zimbabwe. This would inform and expose Zimbabweans to the rich heritage they have. Plus such programming will push a positive narrative for Zimbabwe thus generating foreign investor and tourist interest.

Gaming Shows

It is high time we start seeing Zimbabwean gaming shows. I am confident Zimbabweans would love that. Take, for instance, the gaming shows, Family Feud, or Celebrity Family Feud. They have been and continue to be a resounding success. Over the years it has always been the norm that gaming shows are highly engaging. They are perfect family shows which can be watched even by kids. Picture Zimbabwe having its locally-themed gaming shows. That would be cool and I cannot wait to see that becoming a reality soon. I think it would be great to also see more and more business-themed gaming shows e.g. pitch contests. ZimTrade Eagle’s Nest is an example of what I am referring to; we need that.

Reality Shows

I know there are a number of you that watch CBS Reality a lot. I rarely watch television due to busy schedules but once in a while, I get glued to CBS Reality. There is something about watching content chronicling real-life people and real-life situations. This is something I believe Zimbabweans are ready to see from a local perspective. Just looking at the type of programs on CBS Reality can give an idea of what can be tailored here from a local perspective. After all, the field of reality television is infinitely broad and diverse. I have seen local programming where trending topics such as local tradition and culture are covered. The possibilities here are endless.

Reviews Shows

This can be reviewed on anything of interest. It can be about vehicles, products (e.g. gadgets, machinery), services, outlets, and the like. This would be of interest to many Zimbabweans. Already they tune in to such shows elsewhere so a local context would be most welcome. Such shows would also be of interest to advertisers to tap into wider audiences. Viewers would benefit immensely by getting to know in-depth about many things of interest. I have noticed many people get misled about so many things they use. Most service providers are out to make money and never quite tell full or truthful details. That is why you find them making unnecessary recommendations. Reviews shows would inform so many people about the day-to-day things they use in Zimbabwe.

Series And Soapies

I and many of you watch series and soapies. I usually binge-watch them when I get some considerable time. Many of you will attest that we largely depend on foreign ones. Our soapies it is mostly South African ones, amongst others. As for series, it is mainly US-based ones or any English series. There is no question about how high the demand for such content is. We need to see the emergence of the Zimbabwean series and soapies. I am glad that there are now some Zimbabwean productions in those regards. We need the Zimbabwean series and soapies.

Documentaries

We need documentaries as well; so many stories to cover. So much has happened in Zimbabwe over the years and so much continues to happen. Politically, historically, economically, and so on, countless engaging topics can be covered in documentaries. There is no shortage of skilled people in Zimbabwe who can put together top-notch documentaries. Such documentaries can even become regional, continental, and global successes.

Talk Shows

When I was a little kid The Mai Chisamba Show was the only Zimbabwean talk show I knew. As a nation we are still sleeping on talk shows – people love them! Just looking at how people engage and interact on social media you can tell talk shows would thrill them. Zimbabwe is characterised by many topical or contentious issues that need to be publicly deliberated or debated. Talk shows would be the best means to facilitate such potentially interesting social interactions.

These TV shows will not only provide edutainment to Zimbabweans but they will also create opportunities for enterprises. Zimbabwean startups and businesses will benefit by having platforms to advertise to wider markets or audiences. All these TV shows will also help us write and tell our authentic Zimbabwean story. This will build a formidable Zimbabwean brand image. Again, Zimbabwean content creators stand to benefit from making this TV shows a reality.