Zimbabwe’s fastest growing business and arts network, The Hub — Meeting of Minds has rebranded into Zimbabwe Business and Arts Hub (Zibah) as it seeks to promote excellence among its membership.
By Moses Mugugunyeki
The apolitical, impartial, neutral and independent business and arts player has recorded remarkable growth since inception and will this year embark on a number of activities and programmes as it spreads its tentacles around Zimbabwe.
Chairman of the fledging group, Takemore Mazuruse, a journalist, social entrepreneur and humanitarian worker said the rebranding process was in sync with their aspirations as they seek to educate and inspire citizens on the many opportunities abound in Zimbabwe through idea sharing, seminars, leveraging and engagement.
“Zimbabwe is a land of opportunities and is equally blessed with highly learned and hardworking citizens, who with the right guidance and support, can become responsible citizens who effectively play a part in growing the economy.
“The rebranded Zibah is, therefore, embracing all progressive Zimbabweans in the business and arts sector that are willing to utilise the available space and government policies like the Indigenisation Act and Zimbabwe Agenda for Socio- Economic Transformation (ZimAsset) designed for the benefit of enterprising citizens,” Mazuruse said.
Regarding the rebranding process, Mazuruse said inasmuch as there were many hubs in the various sectors of the Zimbabwean economy, Zibah was in a class of its own given its orientation and scope of doing things, hence the name tag “The Hub”.
“Yes, we may have many hubs in Zimbabwe, some in the information and technology sector but our scope of doing things is unique. Zibah is not a political player, but an equal opportunities group embracing both the established players in the different sectors of the Zimbabwean economy, particularly business and arts. that uniqueness makes us “The” Hub.
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“The name change and various other branding improvements related to our new way of doing business in 2017 will see us scaling new heights. We have all the brains in the group from company executives, successful business people, lawyers, journalists, artistes, music promoters, students and aspiring business people. The resultant linkages are a recipe for the development of our country,” he said.
Zibah treasurer, Tinashe Mutarisi, the businessman who is CEO and founder of multi-award winning paint manufacturing and distribution giant, Nash Paints said 2017 was a year of consolidating their gains and they were encouraged by the support they continue receiving from all sectors, government included.
“Yes, we can moan about the challenges we have but the truth is we are the difference we want to see and the sooner we wake up and start working together for our own good, the better for us. We have many individual Zimbabweans who have made it in Zimbabwe and as Zibah, we believe we are the right launch pad for all visionary citizens regardless of race, creed or political affiliation,” he said.
Mutarisi’s sentiments were echoed by Zibah committee members, enterprising business persons; Exevia Maoneke and David Mudzudzu, who highlighted that their collective approach as a group was geared to empower members and like-minded Zimbabweans to grow in their pursuits.
“Like the wise have it, no one of us is as strong as all of us together. At Zibah, we believe in a collective approach to issues and that has worked well for us. We successfully engaged in a number of activities in 2016, including philanthropic duties and we believe in 2017 and beyond it will be even more exciting. Together with like-minded groups, we are the vehicle for the development of our country starting at individual level and we are highly motivated in this regard,” the duo concurred.
Key activities by Zibah in 2017, according to Mazuruse, will include business seminars and expos, music festivals and expos, awards ceremonies as well as consultancy services aimed at empowering individual Zimbabweans.
“Zimbabwe Business and Arts Hub is a development-oriented player and we believe business and the arts have a bearing on the development of our motherland. Yes, there many factors to it, but once we start playing our part, we will reap the rewards. Activities for 2017 and beyond will include, among other things, business seminars, workshops and expos; awards ceremonies, music festivals and concerts as well-related consultancy services aimed at nurturing local talent,” he said.
Indeed, the corridors of success have no room for spectators and bystanders and Zibah appears geared to make a difference in the local business and arts sector. Critics have applauded the group for its apolitical and all-embracing approach which is exactly what every country, Zimbabwe included, require for it to attain development.
