By STEVE OTIENO

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By Harry Misiko

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The Nation Media Group #ticker:NMG on Monday launched the premium section of its digital platform, Nation.Africa, marking another milestone in its digital transformation.

The section with exclusive, in-depth, incisive and well-researched content will be available to millions of readers across the world at a fee.

Readers can choose between a one-time purchase or long-term subscription, ranging from a day to 12 months.

A reader will enjoy the high-quality content for a day for just 10 shillings, while a week’s access to the section will cost Sh50.

Premium content

A month’s access will cost Sh150 and a year’s Sh750. Payments can be made by card or mobile money.

NMG launched Nation.Africa in August last year as a first step in changing its business model in line with global trends.

“The paywall will allow readers to access premium content, content that is of use to them, content that they can rely on, and content that is well researched,” the NMG chairman, Wilfred Kiboro, said, noting that such content costs a lot to develop.

Quality content

Media should be sustained so it can continue speaking truth to power, he added. Chief Executive Officer Stephen Gitagama said the media group would continue focusing on its consumers even as it develops quality content.

“At the centre is the customer, then content and technology. The input to all these is our people, then at the end of it is monetisation,” he said.  

Nation.Africa’s unique content has attracted more than 240,000 registered users in five months and the company is keen to grow this subscriber base this year. 

Group Editorial Director Mutuma Mathiu expressed optimism with the pay-as-you-read plan, saying time was ripe to change the media business model.