Zim Now digital publishing house launched

Zim Now Writer

Zim Now, a fully registered digital publishing house, was launched yesterday at a Harare hotel, officially announcing the platform aimed at telling diversified stories of Zimbabwean people.

“We are a complex nation. We focus on telling the Zimbabwean story in its diversity: ‘Real Stories. Real People.’ The people of this country are not defined by a single narrative,” said Zim Now managing partner Monica Cheru in her address at the launch.

The news website that went live in mid-July this year and has already registered phenomenal progress with almost 50 000 regular users in over 100 countries is aiming to reach the 100 000 user mark by the end of December 2022.

Cheru said that Zim Now has made content sharing agreements with other partners and this has helped in spreading reach through referral links.

“The latest agreement is with CRW, which we reached just this past week. We continue to open our content to other partners as the thrust is to tell the world that they can access Zimbabwean stories from local credible sources instead of relying on foreign sites who are either blinkered by their own prejudices and position or just plain ignorance,” Cheru said.

“I am told that this is …. a site designed to inform locally-based Zimbabweans, those in the diaspora and foreigners interested in the country,” said Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa in a speech read on her behalf by her deputy, Hon Kindness Paradza at the official launch of Zimbabwe Now in Harare yesterday.

“I declare Zimbabwe Now officially launched and wish you great success in your endeavour to play your part in telling the Zimbabwean story,” the minister said.

The launch was attended by a diverse crowd that included corporate leaders, government officials, advertising agencies, the Zimbabwe Media Commission, the Chinese and Indian embassies, social media influencers and members of the media fraternity.

Several corporate players who attended the launch said they were excited by the presence of a digital platform that is agile, flexible with advertising opportunities that are totally outside the traditional confines.