Celebrity or just popular? Identifying the Zambian celebrity and their display of economic and political power

In Zambia, the idea of celebrity has been in contention and is often left to interpretation. Whereas the understanding of who is and is not a celebrity is commonplace in the developed world as well as their role in media economy, and sometimes politics, the ‘who?’ and ‘why’ in Zambia is imprecise, and their role, if any, in the media economic and political landscape is largely unclear. This study asks questions such as: what in terms of characteristics qualifies one to be a celebrity in Zambia? What power (if any) do these individuals’ have in shaping public opinion? what role do celebrities play on the economic and political landscape? The study is part of an ongoing study and presents some preliminary results of initial survey work that is yet to be scaled.