Information Services in Zimbabwe, 2005

INTRODUCTION
Since the commercial inception of many Information and Communication Technologies and various business methods in Zimbabwe, consumers have been hoping for an ever increasing Quality of Service (QoS) in Information Services. This has not been the case; due to a contribution of various factors influencing the direction of growth of this industry.
There are basically seven types of Information Service Points, which this paper seeks to address the audience, to shed light upon the dealings thereof. These are Websites, Directories, CDROMs, Periodics, Mobile Phones, Kiosks, and Cafes. Closely examining these will help define this industry, and point out a way forward – that’s the aim of this paper.

DEFINITION
Information Services can be defined as any repetitive business concept of publishing data, in any relevant format, to inform an audience, whilst achieving profitability. Please realize that in the 21st century, there are many industries which are springing up because of the dynamics of Information and Communication Technologies, manipulating data. As a nation in a continent deemed 3rd world, I beg to differ with this mindset, and aim to prove our un-extracted wealth in these regards.

INFORMATION SERVICE POINTS

WEBSITES
In 1996, there was an enormous uprise of Internet Services in Zimbabwe, with many Internet Service Providers either opening shop or beginning to penetrate the Zimbabwean Market. Unlike other western or eastern nations, Zimbabwean Cyberspace grew with an unstructured marketing concept. There was no separation between the Internet Service Providers and Web Portals. Web Portals are websites which offer information services to web browsers. This hampered marketing innovation, as most portals were based on western commercial ethics.
By the turn of the century, there had been many start-ups and shutdowns, due to the stiff competition from sites like the .coms and .zas – being American and South African websites. It is now five years into the millennium, and there still have not been any sound and well grounded web portals (Internet Information Service Providers). Many may argue upon my conclusion, but an example would be: “Have you ever wondered why it is easier for a Zimbabwean Web Consumer to source a .com for information than a .zw?” – Relevance is the key, not access speed (bandwidth).

DIRECTORIES
In 1980, Zimpapers was formed by the Mass Media Trust, which then incorporated AC Brabys to form BoldAds. AC Brabys is a South African Directory Publishing company, with a 10% stake in BoldAds. They provided BoldAds with basic principles, which been in use up to date.
The decade of the 1980s also saw the introduction of another publisher called Directory Publishers (DP), based in Bulawayo, and founded by the late Bruce Bill. DP and BoldAds have co-inhabited and equally split the market share for the past decades. Of note, DP has an agreement with the well known Service Mark Yellow PagesSM who is the global leaders in directory information services.

Still with these financially sound and strategically connected local giants, directory information service provision has not changed a bit since their inception. They have gone from paralyzing consumer mindsets, to totally disappointing unto death the whole nation. This is evidenced by the recent wrangle between BoldAds and TelOne, and the “too thick” a directory of DP.
Thumbs up for their dominance, but their QoS is rapidly becoming extinct.

CATALOGUES (PERIODICS)
The concept of cataloguing has never really grown in our nation. This quarter of a century of our nation saw the instant rise and fall of many Catalogue Publishers, which left consumers relying on foreign publications. Consumers have been left believing that Catalogues are only found in South Africa, Botswana, United States of America, and/or the United Kingdom.

KIOSKS
There is virtually no information kiosk in Zimbabwe. A kiosk is an ATM like information point that consumers enquire thereof, for a fee. The City Council used to have on at their Information Centre at the Unity Square Gardens in Harare, called InfoSite™. The Ministry of Information and Publicity has been trying to revive these, but these are better revived by business enterprises, because of capital expenditure and QoS.

MOBILE MARKETING
I have to express my patriotic disappointment with our Network Operators, who have not fully allowed the free entry of third party Mobile Marketers onto their networks. In as much as I am endangering my relationship by these comments, far be it that I allow such grievous activities continue. I regard this as social and economical oppression. Let us discuss more.
One would ask; “What happened to 1-2-1 Cell Money ®?” To those who know, please note that there is a thin line between being a Mobile Market Leader and being a Mobile Titanic Operator. The Titanic sank, with all its brilliance. The innovation of information services never got off the ground because of reasons only known as “the African business mindset”. Thumbs up for SMS, but there is more that can be offered.

CAFES
When this word is mentioned one instantly thinks of Internet Cafes. The years 2003 and 2004 saw the “rapid” expansion of these cafes in Harare. Internet cafes are there for convenience and as socializing points, to web consumers.

Thumbs up to QuickNEasy (QE), who has dominated this part of the industry. My only open question is: “How do they manage to accurately acquire convenient shop space, in these days when office or shop space is extremely difficult to find?” besides this question mark, I believe QE are what the Internet Services segment needed. If QE are to become Internet Service Providers, they will surely steal a huge chunk of the market share from other giants. Their brand is well established amongst the young adults. If we rewind time, you cannot help notice the instant rise and fall of cafes like eTouch, who had sound financial and technical backing. Then the biggest question is: “What went wrong?”


CDROMS
I have vigorously scaled the scopes f our uptown Information Technology consumer markets, and am still to come across a locally produced CD or DVD-based consumer information service. As the Print Media, cataloguing on a commercial basis has never taken flight in our nation, even in the presence of such technologies as we possess.

THE CHALLENGES
Apologies for my aggressive stance; I believe I am one of the few people given the grace to address issues in such a manner. I would like us to move on to the mountains, which have affected these Service Points, in a quest to solve our challenges.

1. PUBLISHING
This is a misunderstood industry, profession, concept, and business. It is and Industry because it covers many commercial areas, namely Software, Websites, Motion Picture and Video, Broadcasting, Commercial Print, Music, and lastly BOOKS. It is a Profession because as it spans these seven surfaces, there is a common value chain structure, which requires a Publisher (the individual) to possess fundamental skills. It is a Concept because there is no entity that can exist without publishing as a method of communication. It is a business because, apart from intellectual goals, profit is the main reason for publishing.
There is more that can be discussed about this subject, but its dynamic behaviour has made many entities ignore its importance, yet graceful beauty once harnessed and innovatively manipulated.

2. GOVERNMENT
Each time something goes wrong in our nation, all eyes and voices are on this word – Hurumende or Government. I will say this; for a child to be born, the mother’s body has to facilitate this process with pangs. This forces the mother to push out the fruit of her womb. Sometimes the mother’s body fails and the child dies, or an operation is conducted. I believe that the Zimbabwean government is like the body of Zimbabwean businesses, which facilitates us with birth pangs. Please finish off this allegory for yourself.

3. PATRIOTISM
There is a lack of patriotism amongst those who can offer sound information services. By this I refer to the ethos of certain individuals and organisations which focus on the personal greed, at the expense of QoS and eventually national economic advancement. The fact that Information Services have not been sound; this means that businesses and consumers have been distanced from one another, resulting in our current economic stagnation. Note that a combination of small things amounts to even greater ones.

4. INNOVATION
There is a lie that the African mind has been told, that creativity is unrealistic and unprofitable; hence the high density of clerical and administrative businesses and professions. In Africa, especially Zimbabwe, Africa’s intellectual capital city, the word Entrepreneur has been extremely abused; limiting to mean anything other than Risk Taking and Experimental business ethos.

5. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
A lack of respect, education, and practice of this subject and its subsidiaries, has caused greater disasters in our economic framework. For example, more than 90% of Zimbabwean businesses operate without a registered trademark; yet aim to export their products and services to easterner or westerners, who understand trademark laws and other intellectual property. This subject covers Industrial Property (Patents, Utility Models, Designs, etc), Trademarks and Copyright and Related Rights, and others.

Intellectual Property affects Information Services because Copyright and Trademark issues are the core of this Industry. For more information and education on this subject matter, I refer you to Gift Sibanda, Director General of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation; a father of Intellectual Property in Africa, born Zimbabwe.

6. TECHNOLOGY
Zimbabweans are the most literate people in Africa, and most parts of the world; therefore adaptation to new technology is out of the question. What needs to be addressed rather is how technology is presented to consumers. This boils down to QoS. Please tell me that you are fully satisfied with our Information and Communication Technology businesses!

7. VISION
Dear audience let it be known that I see a commercially liberated Africa, and this begins with Information Services. Our oppression begun with information; and we should be restored with information as well. Many Information Service businesses lack a destination, apart from profitability.

It is a well known fact that those who do commerce with a profit mindset achieve frustration, and billions of US-dollars and fame always follow those who do commerce for pride and sheer pleasure.