In the late 1990s, Zimbabweans got a rare taste of something magical — choice.
For a few glorious years, there was Joy TV, the country’s first privately owned television station. Launched in 1998 on what used to be ZBC’s underused second channel, Joy TV burst onto screens like a breath of fresh air. It brought better entertainment, different programming, music, movies, and a lighter tone that contrasted sharply with the state broadcaster’s heavy, propaganda-laden diet. Many Zimbabweans still remember it fondly as the channel that actually felt like it was made for them.
People would rush home just to watch Joy TV. It was, quite literally, a joy to watch.The Pain of Having Only One ChannelThen, in 2002, Joy TV was abruptly shut down. The lease was cancelled, and Zimbabwe went back to its default setting: one single government-controlled television station — ZBC (ZTV).
For nearly two decades, the entire nation of over 15 million people (at the time) was expected to survive on one TV channel. One voice. One narrative. One set of programmes that often felt more like state bulletins than entertainment.Imagine that.The Ridiculous Reality: Zimbabwe vs The Rest of the WorldWhile Zimbabwe was stuck with one state television station:
Having only one TV station in the 21st century wasn’t just backward — it was embarrassing. It was the media equivalent of driving a donkey cart on the highway while your neighbours zoomed past in sports cars. It symbolised everything wrong with information control: a terrified regime so scared of different voices that it preferred its people to have zero options rather than fair competition.A Short Glimpse, Then Darkness AgainJoy TV proved one simple truth: Zimbabweans love and deserve choice. When given even a small window of alternative programming, people embraced it enthusiastically. Its closure wasn’t about technical issues or money — it was about control.
For years afterwards, the excuse was always the same: “We are liberalising broadcasting soon.” Soon never came — until very recently when a few more licences were finally issued (many of them suspiciously connected to the same old circles).Joy TV remains a bittersweet memory. A small glimpse into what a normal, functioning media environment could look like. A reminder that television doesn’t have to be a government mouthpiece. It can actually be... joyful.
And in a modern world where even the smallest nations have dozens of channels, clinging to a single state station for decades wasn’t just poor policy.It was ridiculous.
People would rush home just to watch Joy TV. It was, quite literally, a joy to watch.The Pain of Having Only One ChannelThen, in 2002, Joy TV was abruptly shut down. The lease was cancelled, and Zimbabwe went back to its default setting: one single government-controlled television station — ZBC (ZTV).
For nearly two decades, the entire nation of over 15 million people (at the time) was expected to survive on one TV channel. One voice. One narrative. One set of programmes that often felt more like state bulletins than entertainment.Imagine that.The Ridiculous Reality: Zimbabwe vs The Rest of the WorldWhile Zimbabwe was stuck with one state television station:
- South Africa had over 100 channels, including free-to-air and pay-TV giants like DStv, e.tv, SABC 1, 2, 3, and dozens of others.
- Nigeria went from pioneer of African TV to having over 100 stations, pumping out Nollywood dramas, music, news, and local content 24/7.
- Kenya had multiple vibrant stations — Citizen TV, KTN, NTV — fiercely competing for viewers.
- Even much smaller or poorer African countries like Zambia, Botswana, Ghana, Uganda, and Senegal had multiple free-to-air channels and growing digital options.
- In Europe and Asia, ordinary people flip between hundreds of channels.
Yet in Zimbabwe, millions of people were told:
"Watch ZBC… or switch off your TV."
It was the broadcasting equivalent of North Korea, but in Southern Africa. One station that many openly called “ZANU TV” — where news meant praising the ruling party, and dissent was invisible. Power cuts were bad enough. But even when the power was on, the content was often off.Having only one TV station in the 21st century wasn’t just backward — it was embarrassing. It was the media equivalent of driving a donkey cart on the highway while your neighbours zoomed past in sports cars. It symbolised everything wrong with information control: a terrified regime so scared of different voices that it preferred its people to have zero options rather than fair competition.A Short Glimpse, Then Darkness AgainJoy TV proved one simple truth: Zimbabweans love and deserve choice. When given even a small window of alternative programming, people embraced it enthusiastically. Its closure wasn’t about technical issues or money — it was about control.
For years afterwards, the excuse was always the same: “We are liberalising broadcasting soon.” Soon never came — until very recently when a few more licences were finally issued (many of them suspiciously connected to the same old circles).Joy TV remains a bittersweet memory. A small glimpse into what a normal, functioning media environment could look like. A reminder that television doesn’t have to be a government mouthpiece. It can actually be... joyful.
Zimbabweans didn’t just miss a TV channel when Joy TV died.
They missed the feeling of being treated like free adults with the right to choose what they watch.
And in a modern world where even the smallest nations have dozens of channels, clinging to a single state station for decades wasn’t just poor policy.It was ridiculous.
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