By A Correspondent-One of Zimbabwe’s most senior and respected journalists, Limukani Ncube, has graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of South Africa (Unisa), marking a significant milestone in both his personal journey and the broader media profession.
Ncube, a former Sunday News editor with 27 years of experience in journalism, received his PhD last week under the College of Human Sciences at Unisa’s Pretoria campus.
His academic achievement comes at a time when a growing number of Zimbabwean journalists are pursuing postgraduate studies to deepen their knowledge, enhance leadership capacity, and contribute to the intellectual development of the profession.
His doctoral thesis, titled Unmasking the Intersection Between Economy and Media: A Case of Digital Journalism in Zimbabwe, explores one of the most urgent and globally relevant topics in the media landscape — the impact of digital disruption on journalism.
Grounded in the critical political economy of the media and industrial organisational theory, Ncube’s study examines how economic forces and technological change are reshaping newsroom practices and the sociology of news production in Zimbabwe.
He argues that contemporary journalism is no longer threatened by the scarcity of information, but by an overflow of content and the rise of disruptive technologies that are fundamentally transforming how news is produced, distributed, and consumed.
In response, he calls for journalism to be reimagined — with a renewed focus on innovation, adaptability, and responsiveness to audience needs in the digital age.
Currently serving as one of Zimpapers’ top newsroom managers and chief content officers, Ncube is at the forefront of efforts to steer the media conglomerate through a period of intense transformation.
Zimpapers, which owns The Herald, The Chronicle, The Sunday Mail, The Sunday News, Kwayedza, Umthunywa, Manica Post, ZTN television, and radio stations such as Star FM and Capitalk — is undertaking a major reconfiguration of its operations.
This includes shifting to new digital workflows, embracing multimedia platforms, and finding sustainable monetisationmodels.
As Ncube’s research reveals, Zimbabwe’s media sector is grappling with a dual crisis, the country’s prolonged economic instability and the relentless pace of technological disruption.
His academic work not only diagnoses these challenges but offers insights into how newsrooms can evolve and remain relevant in a rapidly changing environment.
Ncube’s transition from newsroom veteran to scholar exemplifies a broader trend in Zimbabwean journalism, where professionals are increasingly turning to academia to enrich their practice, deepen critical analysis, and contribute to shaping the future of the media in the country and beyond.