PRIVATE TV OPERATORS
DHD Holding and Miramar Mozambique are two of the most respected names in Mozambique’s media industry, both known for their high-quality content and CSR initiatives.
Where has DHD Holding directed its investment?
DANIEL DAVID DHD is a holding group employing over 600 people, with investments in a wide range of sectors, including a majority share (98%) in SOICO Group, the biggest privately owned media conglomerate in Mozambique. SOICO Group comprises the television channel STV, the international cable news channel STV Notícias, the daily newspaper O País, and the radio station SFM. SOICO also owns a video production company and is currently investing heavily in digital platforms. Other investments include real estate, technology, event management, audiovisual equipment, interior design and decor, and finance.
How has Miramar positioned itself in the market?
JOSÉ GUERRA In the 1980s, there was only one state-owned channel, Televisão Experimental de Moçambique—now Televisão de Moçambique (TVM). Later in the 1980s, Mozambique undertook efforts to liberalize the sector. Miramar first penetrated the radio market as Radio Miramar in 1995. In 1999, we started TV Miramar, the second privately owned TV channel in the country. Last year marked our 20th anniversary. At present, Mozambique has 19 licensed TV operators. Our vision is to contribute to the improvement of livelihoods by offering a diverse, rich, high-quality selection of programs. We target all sectors of society; we aim to balance our entertainment offer with information programs and influential news, with an underlying orientation toward family values. We only hire highly qualified and motivated personnel, aligned with our vision and committed to the development of our business environment.
What are the main pillars of the group?
DD Our main pillar is our commitment to social responsibility, which is also the best driver to achieve visibility. The group has a foundation called Fundaso, which operates in the areas of health and well-being, environment and natural resources, and education. The foundation is also active in mobilizing the business community to create opportunities for entrepreneurs. In 2015, we launched the first edition of the Mozambique Economic Forum (Mozefo), arguably the most important business event in the country. It is a forum where civil society, companies, the government, and the international community discuss ideas and opportunities, and shape the future of Mozambique. The outcomes of this discussion are then made available to all stakeholders. The forum takes place every two years, so we had one in 2017 and 2019, and the next one will be in 2021. In 2018, we also launched Mozefo Young Leaders, a forum aimed at fostering youth entrepreneurship. We also organize Moztech, a technology fair, and Mozgrow, an event that focuses on the agro-business, among others.
What are your strengths?
JG One of the main elements that sets us apart is our constant investment in human resources. We aim to serve the Mozambican public through six channels (comprised of news and entertainment), and we make sure that all the people behind this machine are fully aligned with Mozambique’s social context, thus delivering content that is relevant and best in class. We have an ambitious plan in 2020 to continue the formation of our managing staff abroad, with the goal of exposing them to best practices and innovation techniques. We are also hiring a film director from Europe to train our technical team and improve our, editing, and directing. Our long-term goal is to produce Mozambican soap operas. Another strength is our journalistic branch, which has won a vast array of awards. We are currently restructuring this sector. We recently nominated a new director of information and signed a partnership with Record Televisão.
What is your vision?
DD Our vision is to become a media gateway and the point of reference for content production in the region. We want to capitalize on Mozambique’s strategic localization, which makes it a gateway for landlocked countries in the region and a hub for exports and imports. We want to create content with both impact and relevance for the entire region. We previously invested in a Portuguese-English media platform, a newspaper for the Mpumalanga region, and a few collaborations in South Africa and Angola. Due to the crisis, we have had to restructure, reorganize, and rethink our strategy. We hope to resume pursuing our regional strategy in 2021.
JG After recently achieving an important milestone of expanding the coverage of Radio Miramar across the country, we now look forward to further developing our TV network and increasing our audience. We want to shift our TV studios and operations to the facility that is currently hosting our administrative headquarters. Finally, we look forward to giving back to the community and carrying out social responsibility activities. ✖