Spencer Madziya: From dreamer to goal-getter

Standard People
Five years ago, Spencer Madziya was viewed as over-ambitious when he stepped onto the cut-throat local entertainment scene.

Five years ago, Spencer Madziya was viewed as over-ambitious when he stepped onto the cut-throat local entertainment scene.

BY OUR STAFF What would a successful businessman with a significant stake in an organisation like Tiles for Africa still want to earn through the bleeding entertainment scene?

Back then he had just pioneered Splash Mereki, an outdoor entertainment that sought to rejuvenate the fading outdoor entertainment.

Many could have wondered what was so special behind the black barricade of the space that is in the northwest of the famous Mereki braai stands, not knowing a dream had just been born.

Madziya, a business personality with interests in mining, construction and now entertainment, had set out to make improvements on the local scene that he had envied as a child.

“My late uncle [Sam Banana] was one of the founding members of the band One plus One and he used to take me with him to live shows. I looked at how he was being treated and he died a pauper. So I set out to provide clubs for artistes to perform and also mentor,” said Madziya.

“Right now I have got a couple of artistes that I am mentoring and one that I am managing. I am also now involved with the Zim Hip Hop Awards as a technical partner.

“There has been improvement largely by the international tours that local artistes are now embarking on, as well as the emergence of youthful promoters like Simba Chakare.”

Madziya said there is obviously a lot of potential in the Zimbabwean arts sector but said the local authorities needed to fund as well as come up with policies that grow the industry.

“The recent closure of the Book Café is definitely something that pains me. And I have taken an initiative to see that it reopens. That was the arts centre,” he said.

He said he has worked hard to ensure that there is unity among local artistes and promoters for the betterment of the industry. “I have worked with most promoters as well as ensuring that there is unity among the artistes themselves,” said the young businessman who is running Sphinx Platinum Lounge at Cresta Oasis Hotel and Motor Action Sports Club. He said he was targeting to open another club by the end of the year. Turning 35 on September 16, Madziya is married to Dorothy, an engineer at the Zimbabwe Power Company and they are blessed with two kids, Natalie and Jayden.

“Without my wife I do not think I would have achieved what I have achieved this far. She has given me tremendous help and support,” he said.

“I have also been lucky that I have been involved in mining through a project in Mt Darwin but we are obviously facing challenges.”

Madziya believes youths must come up with strategies to help the government fix the economy.

“I got into most of these businesses in order to realise my full potential. We are a lucky generation where our fight is more on the economy and not the political and my goal is to liberate the economy,” he said.

Madziya believes if proper mechanisms are put in place by authorities, the Zimbabwean showbiz scene could be on the way to recovery.

He said the dynamics brought by technology needed to be grasped and exploited to make sure artistes reach their fullest potentials.

“Cyber bullying for instance is a serious threat to the development of arts and you will find that we do not have psychological help centres to help those that have been affected. Yet there is a lot of damage that it causes,” he said.

“We are also failing to utilise resources that we have, for instance Pakare Paye Arts Centre which Oliver Mtukudzi himself has conceded people are failing to utilise. It is a white elephant as we speak because people think it is for Norton yet Tuku says it is for Zimbabwe.

“There is also need for serious training for managers and other people that work in the sector, for instance we have producers now taking the role of managers and promoters when they have serious shortcomings themselves.”