In Focus

Multichoice announces Newzroom Afrika as Afro Worldview replacement

The decision comes months after more than 60 companies bid to take over the 405 slot under the broadcasting giant.

Newzroom Afrika has been announced as the new 24-hour news channel to replace Mzwanele Manyi’s Afro Worldview.

The announcement was made by Multichoice in a media briefing in Randburg on Tuesday, 28 August 2018.

Thokozani Nkosi and Thabile Ngwato are the directors of the news channel, which is expected to hit the airwaves early 2019.

Both Nkosi and Ngwato are no strangers to the media space. Nkosi’s Eclipse TV has produced several programmes for the SABC, including The Chatroom and a 24-hour gospel channel for TopTV, while Ngwato has been an anchor for the public broadcaster for a few years. She resigned over a week ago.

“Thabile and I have been seeing gaps in the news media space that we wanted to fill and our plan was to do soon the digital space. But when the opportunity for the bid came around, we saw it as a hand-in-glove fit”, said Nkosi.

Well known TV Executive, Zanele Mthembu will be running the channel.

“Her experience in running an operation of this scale will definitely be invaluable”, Ngwato said.

“Today marks the birth of an exciting new and independent media voice in South Africa”, said Multichoice CEO Calvo Mawela.

Mawela added that: “We set out to find a quality new, black-owned, independent news channel to expand the diversity of SA news and enrich our democracy – we’re excited by the outcome”

On 20 August 2018, Multichoice pulled the plug on Afro Worldview, which was recently rebranded from ANN7, in an attempt to distance itself from its scandal-ridden reputation. The channel, previously owned by the Guptas, has been accused of having been used to spread misinformation on former President Jacob Zuma’s critics.

Thabo Baloyi
t.baloyi@politicalanalysis.co.za