Online Reporter
Langalakhe Mabena, [email protected]
BULAWAYO-based youth arts organisation Creartive Culture has been recognised for its contribution to youth development — winning the Best Art Empowerment Organisation award at this year’s Bulawayo Business Awards (BBA).
The awards ceremony was held at the Zimbabwe Music Academy on 30 May, celebrating businesses and organisations that are making a significant impact in their respective sectors.
Creartive Culture received the accolade in the Creative Culture and Digital Impact category, which recognises institutions using arts, culture and innovation to drive positive change within communities.
For the organisation’s director, Lindelani Calisto Mafu, the award is a testament to years of dedication to nurturing talent and creating opportunities for young people through the arts.
“Our recent win at the Bulawayo Business Awards is proof that our work is making an impact and that the city is taking notice. We don’t take this recognition lightly. It reflects the dedication of our team and the young people we serve,” said Mafu.
“More importantly, it inspires us to continue transforming lives through the arts.”
Founded as a dance training initiative for young people, Creartive Culture has grown into a multidisciplinary arts organisation that nurtures dancers, actors, poets, musicians and storytellers while providing a platform for personal growth and creative expression.
The organisation’s impact is already being felt beyond Zimbabwe’s borders. This year, Creartive Culture celebrated the achievement of Lwazilwenkosi Fikile Nyoni, who is representing Zimbabwe in Germany through an international cultural exchange programme with Iyasa.
The organisation has also produced two students, Proud Moyo and Banele Ngwenya, who were selected to study at the Geraldine Roche Arts Academy. The two have since completed training and are preparing for end-of-year performances.
Mafu said the organisation was established with a simple but powerful vision.
“We wanted to create a safe space where young people could dream, express themselves and discover their potential through the arts. What started as rehearsals with a few children has grown into a vibrant movement of young creatives who are using their talents not only for entertainment but also as a voice for change.”
Beyond talent development, the organisation has positioned itself as a vehicle for social transformation, offering young people constructive alternatives to challenges such as drug and substance abuse, violence and unemployment.
“In our communities, many young people face unemployment, substance abuse, violence, depression and hopelessness. We chose to respond differently. We chose music instead of silence, dance instead of violence, theatre instead of destruction and poetry instead of fear,” said Mafu.
“As we celebrate achievements that once seemed impossible, let us remember that talent may be born in struggle, but its future is bright.”
He urged businesses, policymakers and community leaders to invest more in youth-centred arts programmes, arguing that creative industries have the potential to transform lives and strengthen communities.
The Bulawayo Business Awards are held annually to honour businesses, entrepreneurs and organisations contributing to the city’s economic growth and development.
This year’s edition was held under the theme, “Creating a Conducive Business Environment and Quality Standards for Industrial Competitiveness in a 24-Hour Economy”.
Other notable winners included KaSamuriwo proprietor Brian Samuriwo, who received the Top Individual Accolade Award, the Zimbabwe School of Mines for Outstanding Contribution to the Mining Industry, Buntu Foods for Service Excellence, Young Miners Foundation for Mining Innovation, Enock Construction for Construction Safety and Millennium Footwear for Economic Empowerment.
Sidumisile Mabena