SECTOR 2

Scores:
Individual scores:
1

Country does not meet indicator

2

Country meets only a few aspects of indicator

3

Country meets some aspects of indicator

4

Country meets most aspects of indicator

5

Country meets all aspects of the indicator

Average score:

1.6 (2012 = 2.2; 2010 = 2.1; 2008 = 2.0;
2006 = 2.4)

2.13 The advertising market is large enough to support
a diversity of media outlets.
The advertising market is too small to support the many media outlets in Tanzania.
Mwananchi, for example, has about 30% advertising per edition, compared to
70% content, while the standard ratio to ensure sustainability is 40% advertising
to 60% content. The newspapers can also not count on a significant amount
of income from circulation due to the small number of newspapers sold. For
example, the combined circulation of the two biggest newspapers in the country,
Mwananchi and The Citizen, is barely 50 000, while in neighbouring Kenya,
which has a smaller population, the combined circulation of the two largest
newspapers, The Nation and The Standard, is about 600 000.
“There is very little reading culture in our country, which impacts on the number
of pages newspapers have and on their circulation figures.”
Panellists noted that because there are very few manufacturers in Tanzania, there
is less advertising. “Advertising levels are very low because most businesses are
reselling goods made in China.”
The fact that there is little competition in the commercial sphere in Tanzania also
means that there is less advertising.
Accessing corporate sponsorship from multinational companies is also problematic
in Tanzania. “Our proposals will be referred to the company’s head office and we
can wait months to hear if our submission has been successful. The whole of
Tanzania gets less budget than Nairobi.”
In addition, it is believed that 50% of companies’ marketing budgets is directed
towards brand activation, like road shows, rather than traditional forms of
advertising in newspapers, or on radio and television.

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER Tanzania 2015

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