US sanctions likely to obstruct Zimbabwe’s digital monetisation talks with Google, Meta

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s efforts to secure direct monetisation for local digital content creators from global technology firms such as Google and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) are unlikely to succeed under the current sanctions environment, analysts have noted.

The Minister of Information Communication Technology, Tatenda Mavetera, this week confirmed that the government is engaging major global platforms to explore mechanisms that would allow Zimbabwean creators to earn revenue from their online content.

She, however, acknowledged that there are “limitations” and that discussions are still ongoing, with no clear timeline for implementation.

“There have been limitations to that, and the conversation is ongoing, we have a programme that is dedicated to the monetisation of local content creators having a platform where they can be able to monetise the content that they have,” she said.

While the announcement signals intent to support the growing digital economy, economic and social commentators argue that United States sanctions on Zimbabwe’s political leadership present a major structural barrier.

Economic and social commentator Prisca Mutema said US-based companies face significant legal and compliance risks when dealing with Zimbabwe, given that several senior government figures, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, are subject to Magnitsky-style sanctions.

Under US sanctions law, American companies are required to ensure they do not make payments that could directly or indirectly benefit sanctioned individuals.

Mutema argues that this creates a high-risk environment for firms such as Google and Meta, which would need to verify that any Zimbabwean recipients of monetisation payments are not acting as fronts for sanctioned persons.

“If a link is later established, no matter how tenuous, company executives can face severe penalties, including criminal prosecution,” Mutema noted, citing past enforcement cases involving sanctions breaches.

She added that the cost of enhanced due diligence and compliance systems would be difficult for global firms to justify given the relatively small size of Zimbabwe’s digital advertising and creator market.

He stated that multinational technology companies prefer to avoid direct monetisation arrangements in Zimbabwe altogether, rather than expose themselves to potential regulatory and legal consequences.

Zimbabwean creators currently face restricted access to monetisation tools on major platforms, with many forced to register accounts in other jurisdictions or rely on intermediaries abroad to receive payments.

Comparisons have been drawn with countries such as Iran and Cuba, where decades of sanctions have similarly limited access to global digital payment systems despite domestic demand and government engagement efforts.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Tinashe Nyamukapa responded to a Tweet by Ministry of Information Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana by giving a summary of why content monetizatio was difficult in Zimbabwe.

“Zimbabwe is always terribly behind. 2026 and the government is still engaging online platforms for monetization????? It’s all just talk because we all know the reasons why that is currently not feasible.

Here are the reasons why monetization is not possible currently:

1) Our economy is informal and our banking sector collapsed
• PayPal, Stripe, or supported international bank accounts are either unavailable or limited in Zimbabwe.
• High risk and compliance issues make it difficult for platforms to send payments into Zimbabwe.
• Local banks are often not integrated with global digital payment systems.

2) Weak digital rights and royalty systems
• Copyright enforcement is weak and many of the content creators are basically pirating other peoples content

3) Limited local advertising ecosystem
• Online monetization relies heavily on advertising spend, but Zimbabwe has a small to non existent digital ad market.
• Few local companies spend enough on digital ads to make creator monetization sustainable.

4) High data costs and infrastructure gaps
• Expensive internet and uneven connectivity reduce audience growth and content consumption.
• This affects watch time, engagement, and overall revenue potential.