Reporting the Region: Southern Africa and news media

Transcription

1 Reporting the Region: Southern Africa and news media Findings from Afrobarometer Round 5/6 Surveys in Southern Africa 19 th Highway Africa Conference #HA August 2015 Sibusiso Nkomo

2 At a glance News provision in Southern Africa: News is still dominated by legacy media such as television, radio and newspapers but social media is on the rise. Dominance of satellite services and other media: South Africa s DStv dominates the region and brings most international news via television to households. South Africa has the largest media community in the region. Future of news is mobile: A quarter (25%) of the region has two cellphones in each household

3 What is Afrobarometer? An African-led, non-partisan survey research project that measures citizen attitudes on democracy and governance, the economy, civil society, and other topics. Started in 12 countries in 1999, expanded to 35 African countries in Round 5 ( ). Goal: To give the public a voice in policymaking by providing high-quality public opinion data to policymakers, policy advocates, civil society organizations, academics, news media, donors and investors, and ordinary Africans. National Partners in each country conduct the survey. Round 6 fieldwork began in March 2014 and is scheduled for completion later this year.

4 Where Afrobarometer works

5 How media is accessed News providers in the region

6 Key findings Seven in 10 (73%) of people in Southern Africa do not access news via the internet Radio dominates news (47%), followed by television (31%)and then newspapers (12%) There are more newspapers (on average, 11 per country) than television/satellite services, radio stations in the region

7 Provision of news per country Southern Africa Newspapers Radio stations Television stations/satellite service Internet % 50% 40% 10% 0% Sources: Media Institute of Southern Africa, BBC, World Bank (2013)

8 People who do not access news on the Internet Southern Africa % 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 75% 72% 89% 80% 85% 92% 83% 89% 63% 82% 77% 79% 56% 75% 61% 85% 80% 77% 79% 75% 73% 40% 37% 10% 0%

9 News from newspapers everyday Southern Africa % 35% 38% 35% 25% 15% 10% 5% 0% 17% 21% 2% 1% 4% 4% 3% 1% 4% 16% 23% 23% 19% 16% 8% 9% 9% 7% 12% 12%

10 News from radio everyday Southern Africa % 90% 80% 70% 87% 83% 68% 60% 50% 40% 46% 42% 42% 38% 35% 33% 43% 40% 37% 54% 53% 52% 50% 46% 41% 32% 33% 45% 47% 10% 0%

11 News from television everyday Southern Africa % 90% 80% 70% 60% 88% 83% 68% 50% 40% 10% 42% 31% 18% 19% 17% 14% 7% 7% 29% 32% 42% 36% 45% 33% 34% 24% 34% 31% 0%

12 News from social media Facebook/Twitter everyday Southern Africa % 32% 29% 25% 25% 18% 15% 13% 10% 7% 7% 8% 7% 5% 0% 1%

13 Ownership of technology to access news Cellphones rule access to media

14 Key findings Nine in 10 (93%) of Mauritians have a television versus four in 10 (42%) in the whole region Seven in 10 (70%) of people in Southern Africa have a radio in their household. Nine in 10 (92%) of people in Southern Africa have cellphone coverage

15 Ownership of TVs Southern Africa % 95% 99% 90% 80% 70% 73% 60% 50% 40% 10% 53% 48% 32% 27% 29% 18% 13% 14% 39% 32% 41% 49% 51% 46% 42% 45% 42% 44% 42% 0%

16 Ownership of radios Southern Africa % 90% 95% 98% 80% 70% 60% 50% 68% 66% 75% 66% 60% 60% 60% 60% 75% 74% 69% 68% 66% 73% 73% 65% 72% 66% 70% 70% 40% 10% 0%

17 Number of cellphones in a household Southern Africa Southern Africa 18% 25% 15% Zimbabwe 12% 23% 16% Zambia 17% 24% 13% Swaziland 3% 14% 24% South Africa 4% 19% 31% 19% Namibia 7% 15% 27% 19% Mozambique 21% 13% Mauritius 3% 15% 35% 24% Malawi 41% 29% 18% 8% Madagascar 59% 21% 13% 4% Lesotho 14% 25% 25% 19% Botswana 3% 16% 21% 0% 10% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% None 1 2 3

18 Usage of cellphones and availability of service Southern Africa % 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 10% 0% 85% 100% 71% 93% 32% 71% 43% 96% 98% 84% 64% 89% 84% 94% 99% 87% 88% 86% 69% 90% 76% 93% 92% 70% Use cellphone that I own ( ) Cellphone service

19 Thank you