By Kelvin Jakachira
In an economy where access to accurate and timely information can influence investment decisions, boost market confidence and sharpen business strategy, business journalism plays an increasingly important role in Zimbabwe.
Through television, radio, print and digital platforms, business journalists translate complex economic developments into information that entrepreneurs, investors, companies and ordinary citizens can understand and utilise.
Business reporting covers a wide range of issues, including financial markets, monetary and fiscal policy, taxation, trade, investment, industry and economic reforms.
For businesses, credible reporting provides a window into government policy, market conditions and emerging opportunities. It can help companies anticipate changes that may affect their operations, while giving entrepreneurs and investors a clearer understanding of the economic environment.
The media also provides policymakers with an important platform to explain measures affecting businesses and the wider economy. This is particularly significant in Zimbabwe, where changes in currency policy, inflation, interest rates, taxation and regulation can have an immediate impact on companies and consumers of goods and services.
Effective business journalism therefore goes beyond reporting economic statistics or corporate announcements. It provides context, asks difficult questions and helps audiences understand what economic developments mean for their livelihoods, businesses and investment decisions.
This role has become increasingly important as Zimbabwe seeks to attract more investment, expand industrial production and unlock the value of its abundant natural resources, including minerals that are strategically important to the global economy.
As competition for investment across Africa intensifies, access to reliable information about markets, policies and business opportunities has become increasingly important.
It is in this environment that Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) senior business reporter Owen Mandovha has established himself as a specialist business journalist.
Mandovha combines newsroom experience with a solid background in finance and banking. He holds a degree in Finance and Banking from the University of Zimbabwe and previously worked in the financial services sector, including at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and BiZ Capital in Botswana.
He also holds professional financial qualifications, including the ACI Dealing Certificate, which he obtained with distinction.
Mandovha joined ZBC in 2018 and has since built extensive experience covering business, finance, economic policy and governance.
His financial background gives him a strong grasp of the institutions, terminology and mechanisms behind many of the stories he covers. It also allows him to place economic developments within a broader financial context and explain their potential implications to a general audience.
That expertise has become particularly valuable as economic issues have grown more complex and increasingly affect almost every aspect of daily life.
Mandovha’s reporting reaches beyond corporate executives, investors, entrepreneurs and farmers, with his content also providing value to workers, students and aspiring business owners seeking to better understand Zimbabwe’s economic environment.
His career reflects a broader transformation in journalism internationally, where specialist knowledge has become increasingly important as stories require greater technical understanding.
Major news organisations across the world have developed specialist teams and senior editorial positions covering areas such as finance, economics, technology, science, health, law and data.
In financial journalism, reporters covering central banks, financial markets, banking regulation, corporate finance and major transactions need more than conventional reporting skills. They must understand complex financial information, scrutinise claims and explain their significance to a general audience.
Organisations such as the BBC and Reuters have developed specialist journalism around these areas, while journalists including BBC Economics Editor Faisal Islam and former BBC business editor Robert Peston have built careers around economic and business reporting.
Against this backdrop, Mandovha’s combination of financial training and newsroom experience gives him a distinctive profile in Zimbabwe’s media landscape.
His professional background is enabling him to approach economic stories with an understanding of both the technical issues involved and the need to communicate them in accessible language.
The value of such reporting extends beyond informing the business community. By connecting economic policy with its real-world consequences, Mandovha is helping the public understand decisions taken by the government, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, regulators and companies.
For Zimbabwe, where economic policy, investment, industrialisation and regional trade remain central to the country’s development ambitions, that role is particularly important.
By combining financial expertise with journalism, Mandovha is making complex business and economic developments unfolding in Zimbabwe’s economy more accessible to a wider audience.
As Zimbabwe continues to pursue economic growth, industrialisation and greater participation in regional and global trade, the demand for credible, knowledgeable and accessible business reporting is likely to grow.
For Mandovha, the intersection of finance and journalism provides an opportunity not only to report on Zimbabwe’s economy, but also to help the public understand the forces shaping it.