A funny, painful and eye-opening look at why African companies get disrupted by technology

In 2023, I had a fascinating conversation with one of the executives at a major Zimbabwean radio station. I asked him a simple question:

“Why are you still charging USD 85 for a 30-second advert?”

He proudly said, “Ah, that’s the norm.”

I asked, “Ok, but how many people does your radio actually reach with that advert?”

Immediately… he froze. You know that moment when a student is asked a math question in class and suddenly starts coughing? Exactly that moment.

I told him: “Do you know how many people you can reach with $85 on social media?” He admitted he didn’t know. I told him the truth:

“Hundreds of thousands. Sometimes millions.”

So I advised him:

“Why not mix radio with Facebook + Instagram + YouTube ads? Why not evolve your packages before clients move on?”

But as usual… tradition won.

THE CURSE OF OLD WINS

Many companies in Africa are dying because they are still polishing trophies they won in 1998.

They believe:

• Radio is king

• TV is king

• Newspapers are king

Meanwhile, the audience moved to smartphones 10 years ago.

And while they were sleeping, something powerful happened…

THE OLLAH 7 MEDIA REVOLUTION

Look at Ollah 7 today. The man quietly built an online platform that now has more reach than the radio station he once worked for.

He does what traditional media can’t:

• Break news in 2 minutes

• Go live anytime, not at “news hour”

• Report without waiting for a manager to approve

• Speak freely and connect directly with his audience

• Adapt instantly when things happen

One man, one mic, one phone, one ring light… And suddenly he is outperforming entire traditional media departments.

While radio waits for the “editorial meeting”, Ollah is already LIVE and trending.

He became the news. He became the platform. He became the industry.

ARE PEOPLE STILL READING PHYSICAL NEWSPAPERS?

Some companies are still printing newspapers like it’s 1995.

Who is reading them?

Even kombi drivers are on TikTok. Grandmothers in rural areas now say: “Send it to me on WhatsApp.” Vendors follow news on Facebook Live. Youth under 25 have never bought a newspaper.

But these companies are still celebrating: “We are the oldest newspaper.”

Well… dinosaurs are also the oldest animals. And they are all extinct.

AFRICA’S HABIT: FEAR FIRST, ADOPTION LATER

When Facebook arrived: “We will not join, it belongs to Satanists!”

When WhatsApp came: “Ah this is worse! How do you talk to someone in China for free?”

When TikTok came: “This thing will destroy children! Bring back radio!”

When AI came: “Satan himself has arrived!”

We demonize everything before we understand it. Then we adopt it when it’s too late. By the time we finally accept it… someone like Ollah 7 has already taken over the whole market.

IMAGINE IF ZIM RADIO & TV HAD EVOLVED EARLY

Imagine if local radio and TV stations had started:

• Going LIVE daily on Facebook

• Broadcasting on YouTube

• Building digital studios

• Creating influencer partnerships

• Posting breaking news instantly

• Adopting AI for content production

They would be dominating Africa by now.

But they waited…

While they were waiting, Ollah just pressed “GO LIVE”.

Now he’s leading the conversation.

TECHNOLOGY WILL DUMP COMPANIES WITHOUT WARNING

Technology does not warn you. It does not send a letter. It does not ask for permission.

It simply moves forward. If you don’t move with it you become irrelevant.

Traditional media is losing the race not because they are bad… but because they are slow, rigid, and stuck in tradition.

THE REAL LESSON

To survive today’s world:

• You must evolve early

• Embrace digital

• Combine traditional and social media

• Learn fast

• Innovate boldly

• Stop fearing new platforms

• Stop overpricing outdated advertising models

• Create content daily

The world will not wait for those who delay.

FINAL WORD THE OLLAH 7 EFFECT

One man with a smartphone did what entire media companies failed to do:

He adapted. He created. He evolved. He disrupted.

Traditional media must learn from him before it’s too late.

Thumbs up to Ollah 7 you changed the game.

If your business is still relying only on outdated marketing, it’s time to evolve before the market moves without you. Let’s help you build modern, digital-first strategies that actually reach people where they are on their phones.+263 77 961 9739 | +260 972 936 033 Upgrade your marketing today. Don’t wait for disruption… be the disruptor.

By The Chartered Vendor

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