Zimbabwe’s mbira sensation, Hope Masike is this year’s main attraction for the third edition of the South African version of the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards (ZAA), taking place at the renowned Maslow Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg on the 10th of December.
Masike will headline the event alongside a number of prolific artists. The announcement comes weeks after the organising committee revealed Carl Joshua Ncube as the event host.
Included in the growing line-up are Entertainment and lifestyle writer Tafadzwa Zimoyo and multi-talented actress Evangelista Mwatse who will this year host the red carpet segment to be streamed live via zimachievers.com.
Speaking about the red carpet gala, the multi-talented vocalist promised to bring vivacity to the black-tie event.
“I am thrilled to be performing at the third edition of ZAA South Africa. I am ready, and cannot wait to share my new material, as well as some classic throwbacks,” she said.
Masike is one of the most sensational musicians to emerge out of Zimbabwe in the last decade. With two albums to her name and several collaborations and tours, she is well known for her veracity and the ability to blend different music styles.
Her music is a hybrid of Mbira, Jazz and AfroPop. Though commonly known for her voice and mbira-playing, Hope also plays several African percussion instruments.
Hope’s sultry voice, awe-inspiring, eclectic and highly-charged performances have earned her critical acclaim and fans worldwide. She has also shared the stage, and collaborated with stars like Salif Keita and Norwegian transcultural outfit Monoswezi.
Masike has also earned several NAMA accolades including Outstanding Female Musician and Best Music video in 2013 and 2015 respectively. She also received a KORA award nomination this year for her song ‘Huyai Tinamate’. Hope is currently working on her third album due for release mid-2017.
The organisers have said that plans for the event are almost in place and have also announced a further three sponsors – Impala Car, Fastjet and Hamilton Insurance. They join Steward bank, Mukuru.com and FoodWorld.
ZAA Organising Director Lawrence Dube expressed his appreciation to all the sponsors and said that the team were geared for the event on the 10th of December.
“We are pleased to welcome on board three of the most respected businesses who join our main sponsors Steward bank, Mukuru.com and FoodWorld. We thank them for partnering with us and bringing the annual event to life,” Dube said.
Dube also encouraged the public to continue voting as voting lines close on Monday 5th December.
The panel thereafter will verify the results, deliberate and emerge with the winners list for this year.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased at www.zimachievers.com/sa
New Sponsors on board
With the event only a week away, the Zim Achievers organisers added a further three partners to the list.
Hamilton Insurance said they were pleased to be sponsoring the awards and looked forward to forging a long lasting relationship with the brand.
Founded in February 2010,the company was subsequently licensed in July 2010 and commenced operations in March 2011.
Slowly becoming a force to reckon with, Hamilton Insurance aspires to become an Insurance leader in Zimbabwe in the Short Term.The company’s aim is to achieve this through designing and offering comprehensive insurance solutions that meet the needs of the modern market.
Impala Car Rental (ICR) who are celebrating a decade in business, are a subsidiary of The Impala Group, a Hospitality and Tourism firm.
Established by Thompson K Dondo in 2006, Impala Car Rental, have become a leading car rental company in Zimbabwe, serving all ten regions in the country.
“People may not remember what you did or what you said, but they always remember how you made them feel, and that is what we aim to do daily at ICR,” Dondo said.
Mr Dondo also expressed his delight at partnering with ZAA South Africa and said he looked forward to the growing friendship and partnership.
“We are pleased to be sponsoring the South African edition of the Zim Achievers Awards. Most significant, the fact that Impala Car Rental is opening offices in Johannesburg, where travellers will now be able to access Impala Car Rental services from O R Tambo International Airport.
The car rental services are now already available on the ground in Johannesburg and what’s left is to finalise the offices for the official opening in January 2017,” Dondo added.
Impala Car Rental are looking to expand their brand further and hope to work closely with strategic partners such as the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards in recognising and building key networks in Zimbabwe, South Africa and beyond.
Fastjet have also come on board this year as sponsors. Based in Zimbabwe, they are a low-cost, pan-African airline that currently offers daily flights between Harare International Airport and Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport.
Fastjet Zimbabwe has recently introduced FlexiTrip, a flight bundle solution that allows frequent flyers to purchase 10 one-way flights at a fixed price inclusive of taxes and fees. FlexiTrip is available for domestic flights in Zimbabwe between Harare and Victoria Falls as well.
Since its inception in the UK in 2011, the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards has become a global event that has gained momentum over the years, and continues to recognise and celebrate the achievements of Zimbabweans worldwide.
