SECTOR 2 do so. This process is, demonstrative of the over-riding power of the tinkhundlabased system, where the power of the king is fed down to the chiefs, and as such, the status quo is maintained. 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: 1.1 (2005: 2.9; 2007: 1.5; 2009: 1.2; 2011: 1.7) 2.13 The advertising market is large enough to support a diversity of media outlets. The advertising market is not large enough to sustain a diversity of media outlets. Panellists felt the reason for this was that the cost of advertising is so high. “If advertising rates were reduced, the market would be large enough to support a diversity of media.” According to a panellist, the total adspend in Swaziland is reportedly E100 million (US$10m) a year. However, no documented figures could be found to confirm this. In 2012, the Times’ target for advertising sales per month was reportedly E9,5 million (US$0.95m). The current cost to publish a half-page press statement in the Observer is more than E6,000 ($600). Print media advertising is prohibitively expensive for smaller companies and non-governmental organisations. Private sector advertisers tend to advertise in the two dailies, the Times and the Observer, which have wider reach than other publications. Adverts in the Times are more expensive than those in the Observer. Interestingly, government currently spends more money advertising in the Times, a privately owned publication, than in the royally connected Observer, because of its broad reach. “As such, new players will find it very hard to get into the market.” Because the advertising market is tight, there is considerable competition within the media sector. Some panellists felt that a certain media house, which has the relative security of having more extensive reach, “operates like the mafia” AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER Swaziland 2014 43