Even with the growing Internet usage and  the undeniable demand for entertainment, Zimbabwe seems not ready for what Gateway Stream Music has to offer. The hospitality giant Rainbow Tourism Group’s innovative venture has the potential to reach the masses if they were to get support in Zimbabwe and across Africa. It’s easy to ask why local goods and services often don’t go bigger or better but how can they go international without massive local support?

Can we safely say Zimbabwe is a market for imports only?

By Fadzai Mathabire

Gateway Stream launched an online platform with sub-applications to give their customers a satisfying  experience offering accommodation, transport  and delivery, cooked meals, and groceries in the comfort of your own home.

Currently, the Gateway Stream Music store seems to be making the loudest noise amongst them all. If you had been following the progress since its launch, you would appreciate that they have been serving us well through the difficult times of being stuck indoors. While the  stingy men were taught how to cook in the valentine mist, and those who needed a ride to go and collect their #juzi were sorted out, the music department was lighting up the nights keeping up with amazing stage performances by prominent artists.

The “Gateway Stream Music” strategically caters for both musicians  and users. It is set up in such a way that users can get access to local music without infringing the artist’s intellectual property rights.

The system allows the artists to collect 80% of the revenue on their music as it is streamed instead of the 25% offered by Spotify. Speaking  at the launch of the App, RTG Head of Business Information Systems Taremeredzwa Chipepera said, “The concept of the Gateway Stream Music web and mobile application is premised on the need to empower musicians, build a legacy and take pride in being African by showing that we can create world-class products and initiatives that can compete globally.”

Online music streams are not a new thing to Zimbabwe and Gateway Stream  stands a chance as they leverage on the mother company RTG a major player in the hotel industry in Africa. This gives them a lead than any other start up of  the same business as the group can afford the slow growth process due to market resistance.

The platform launched in December 2020 with over a staggering 15 000 Zimbabwean songs available. As part of the launch, Rainbow Tourism Group held a Music Empowerment workshop in Harare last year to introduce the digital platform to local potential  stakeholders and capacitate them for future engagement.

Delivering worldclass livestream concerts

Apart from music sales, the music app has also been providing live stream pay per view (PPV)  shows and the first of these was Janet Manyowa’s Sounds of Victory launch last year. This was followed  by the Best of Both worlds show with Winky D and Jah Prayzah early this year, the Crazy Vibes featuring  Anita Jackson and Poptain, as well as the Fast Lane with  Andy Muridzo and Sulumani Chimbetu.

Gateway Stream Music has also offered some free viewing including the Tamy Moyo and Amara Brown concert titled “Girls on the Move”. All these shows are available on their platforms and you can always catch up at any time, all you need to do is sign up.

This brings us back to the question, ‘Is Zimbabwe ready for what Gateway Stream has to offer? I would say:

Technologically…yes! Financially…. maybe. Culturally, well… not really!

The culture  of paying for online content is not an everyday practice for the Zimbabwean  community especially if one is locally based. The belief is that buying data should be enough and there shouldn’t be any need to pay more for online services. It wouldn’t  be a surprise that the groceries department of Gateway Stream is racking in orders from as far as the United Kingdom, United States of America, Russia, Australia, Dubai, South Africa, Zambia and Botswana.

The average person may say, “…but the PPV is now only just $1”, however the diaspora community remains a reliable contributor to local online businesses.

Gateway Stream Music is surely a huge establishment for the country’s economy and the beloved Zimbabwean citizens are slowly catching up.

With the weekend drawing close, be sure to sign up now and catch Ishan and Nutty O live at the ‘Cruise Control’ concert on Saturday 12th of March, 2021.

Download the app, use any electronic money that’s convenient for you and register here for only $1 or $100 ZWL.

Catch you online, how about that?