Zambia-based Umuntu Media has ambitious plans for African online media in 2011.
The media company is aiming to improve Internet media in 19 African countries by creating country-specific portals that will allow people to connect and share information.
The Umuntu portals contain local news, classifieds, jobs, dating, events and accommodation listings.
“Currently, information in Africa is available in a very [scattered] way,” says CEO of Umuntu Media Johan Nel.
“Let's take Namibia for an example. If you are living in Namibia and you need to figure out what to do over the weekend, your best bet would be to constantly stay tuned into radio, or try your luck with the local television station.
“There is no one-stop portal where you can find local news, local information, connect with the local community or stay informed online.”
Umuntu is also developing a mobile strategy that will “reach the masses” in Africa.
Nel says: “We have really focused on making it accessible for the man on the street. We wanted to solve everyday problems with communication, access to information and connection between peers.”
Local flavour
All the portals will be branded with the familiar 'i-' brand and have a local URL extension, such as iNamibia.co.na and iGhana.com.gh.
Local staff will be employed to add the local editorial content to each site, and a local marketing or sales presence will also aim to educate local organisations about digital marketing and drive traffic to the portals.
The 19 countries chosen by Umuntu Media were selected on the basis of Internet growth, penetration, number of users and competition in the market.
“If you combine the Internet users in these countries, you sit with a base of 93 227 200,” says Nel.
“In Zambia, for example, with an Internet population of only 816 700 users, our thinking is to build something unique to fill a gap in the market, drive it hard in terms of marketing and local flavour and then hopefully be able to gain the majority of readers in that country.”
Umuntu was officially introduced in Zambia on the first of January this year. According to Nel, the iZambian Facebook page has over 2 100 fans.
There have also been 1 650 comments on the Facebook posts, with just under 10 000 visits to the iZambia site, with 5 800 unique visitors.
“Changing access to information, and making sharing and communicating easier for locals in 19 African countries is changing the way Africa will communicate,” says Nel.
Reinventing the wheel?
“I think this is a great step forward for online news in Africa, but in it's current state, it is certainly not revolutionary,” says MD of World Wide Worx, Arthur Goldstuck, adding that the Umuntu sites were very reminiscent of the new IOL Africa site.
“The Umuntu sites are very professional and clean, and they certainly do bring African news sites up to the level of international sites, but it doesn't take them beyond that level,” says Goldstuck.
Goldstuck comments that there is no sense of two-way communication on the sites.
“People often mistake interactive for social,” explains Goldstuck, citing the fact that the Umuntu sites currently do not have reader blogging capabilities, and lacks a social networking environment.
“They are essentially plugging into the way people are already communicating rather than changing that.”
The social factor
Nel responded to these concerns by explaining that they are currently in the second round of development, which has taken heed of such criticisms and is heavily focused on improving the social aspect of the sites.
“In the next two to three weeks, you will see a much greater integration of social networking on the site,” explains Nel.
“For example, we are now developing a local music and music video section with rating, sharing, uploading and commenting functions. We are also starting online chat, online file-sharing, online game playing and bringing in Facebook Connect to the site.”
A status update feature will be introduced into the dating pages, as well as a live-stream of updates that Nel envisages as representing the “pulse of the country”.
“We are hoping that the increased focus on social networking will dramatically increase the time users spend on the site,” says Nel.
“It is a very exciting and challenging venture for us and we are pushing this with every ounce of energy to build a sustainable business model.”
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