Social Media, Digital Inequality and the Visibility of Marginalised Artists in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe: A Mixed-Methods Study of Emerging, Informal and Established Creatives

This qualitative study explores how marginalised artists in Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces of Zimbabwe use social media platforms to promote their creative work, engage audiences and preserve cultural heritage. The study adopts a mixed-methods design involving 20 formally recognised artists and emerging/informal creators drawn from music, poetry, dance, visual arts, theatre and craft, alongside basic digital engagement analytics (views, shares, comments and reach) collected from participants’ social media pages. The findings indicate that social media serves as a vital platform for visibility, cultural preservation and community engagement, enabling artists to bypass traditional gatekeepers and connect with local and diaspora audiences However, Despite these opportunities despite these opportunities within structurally unequal digital environments, artists face persistent challenges including poor internet connectivity, high data costs, limited digital literacy, inadequate access to quality devices, algorithmic biases and minimal institutional support. Drawing on digital inequality theory (Norris, 2001; van Dijk, 2005), platform studies (Gillespie, 2018) and creative economy frameworks (Hesmondhalgh, 2019), the study demonstrates that visibility is unevenly distributed across platforms and shaped by both algorithmic structures and socio-economic constraints. Artists nevertheless exhibit resilience through content adaptation, collaborations and cross-platform circulation strategies.