Advertising in Zimbabwe has long been a self-regulatory industry. While this has remained true for most advertising through the usual channels, such as radio, television, newspapers and social media, the popularity of billboards and other forms of outdoor advertising have been a game changer in recent years in that local governments (referred to as Councils) is receiving substantial revenue from companies for advertising. This has resulted in more regulation of this type of advertising by such local governments, thereby shifting regulation of advertising for this specific type of advertising to local government in rural and city councils, with less control or input from self-regulation by the Advertising Standards Authority of Zimbabwe (ASAZIM). Initially, Statutory Instruments (regulations) that appeared a couple of years ago, for example, Masvingo's 2023 and Mwenezi's 2024 versions, focused on required Council permission, listed prohibited sites, and allowed councils' right to remove unlawful advertisements. However, they were vague on procedure, silent on movable signs, and pegged fines to the local currency.
In regulations issued a week ago by the cities of Masvingo and Plumtree, it is clear that there has been a shift from straightforward rules related to permits for access and costs, to more enforceable rules related not just to format but also content for advertising on billboards and various other types of similar outdoor advertisements. The 2025 regulations retain the existing rules but add the power to remove by Council for content which it deems unlawful, requires clearer application processes, expand prohibited categories to include sandwich boards, vehicle-mounted adverts, and other temporary devices, and significantly peg fees as well as penalties in US dollars.
Another significant development is the integration of service providers into the compliance net, reflecting harmonised definitions across multiple 2025 Council regulations (by-laws). This means not only advertisers, but also agencies, installers, and sign-makers can now be held jointly liable for illegal placements, removal costs, or penalties. For advertisers, the changes mean budgeting in hard currency and stricter enforcement; for service providers, it means updating contracts, checking Council permissions before installation, and factoring compliance risks into pricing.
Perhaps the most significant development is that the new regulations now allow Councils to determine whether the content of an advertisement is appropriate and / or lawful. Section 8(1) of the regulations for Masvingo Advertising By-Laws provides, in the pertinent part:
- No person shall erect an advertisement that
- is immoral or offensive;
- is likely to promote unlawful behaviour;
- is likely to tarnish the image of the council;
- contains hate language.
This clause gives Councils a wide discretionary power previously reserved for self-regulatory bodies like ASAZIM. However, since the new by-laws explicitly vest evaluative power in local authorities, ASAZIM's role may now be complementary rather than determinative. Since the regulations deal with outdoor advertisements, it is still likely that ASAZIM will continue to receive and mediate complaints in the broader media space (TV, radio, print, and digital), while disputes over outdoor or billboard advertising will likely now fall under Council jurisdiction.
This raises important questions for future governance: how will disagreements between advertisers and Councils be resolved? And likewise, how will disputes between advertisers be resolved—through the Council or ASAZIM? Legal practitioners and industry players will need to watch how these first cases are handled to understand the emerging balance between self-regulation and statutory enforcement.
The regulation combines content oversight with placement control, giving councils an unusually broad gatekeeping role. Zimbabwe's approach under the 2025 regulations, therefore, represents a hybrid model merging local government control over advertising in public spaces with moral and content oversight.
These advertising regulations mark a decisive move from self-regulation toward statutory oversight, especially in outdoor advertising. By granting councils both content and placement control and removal, the framework introduces stricter compliance expectations for advertisers and service providers alike. The future advertising activities will reveal how this hybrid model balances accountability with creative freedom, and whether it strengthens or complicates the country's advertising landscape.
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