tawandamusarurwa
Kimberly Mhembere
At the beginning of the Covid-19-induced lockdowns in 2020, Marvellous Nyongoro created a food review platform dubbed “The African Finder” on his social media pages as a convenient pastime.
Within three months, he attracted more than 50 000 followers.
After realising the potential of his nascent project, he quit his job a year later to concentrate on creating content for his platforms. Through his videos, the 26-year-old has helped struggling eateries to boost their businesses.
Born and bred in Nyanga, he is now one of the most sought-after food critics, with brands like Chicken Hut, Alechi, Fairy Cafe and Coffee Republik benefitting from his services.
Nyongoro has demonstrated that social media is a perfect marketing tool.
The African Finder has become TikTok and Instagram’s go-to food reviewer. It currently has over 100 000 followers.
He has since invested in equipment such as cameras and acquired video-editing skills.
“I underwent training in comprehension digital marketing with the aim of pushing my brand so that I not only become the most sought-after food reviewer in Zimbabwe, but also in Africa at large,” he said.
His platforms, he said, were created as a way of coping with the psychological effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I used to stress and eat a lot. It is then that I discovered I could create a social media programme focusing on food reviews. Everyone enjoys food. I used the reviews as one of the many ways to bring hope to the public,” revealed Nyongoro.
“I went through different excursions from the time restaurants were serving only take-aways to a season where food was being served from cars, up to the post-vaccine season where we are now allowed to sit in.”
However, he refuses to be classified solely as an influencer and blogger.
“I am an innovative entrepreneur curating a platform called Housing Hub, which is committed to revolutionising university accommodation. My audience can easily relate to my content as I try to review affordable meals that everyone can afford,” he added.
One of his reviews of a hotdog factory blew up, garnering 239 700 likes.
It is one of the posts that helped him attract brand endorsements.
He feels he still has more to offer.
“I know the potential that exists within the brand I am. I am constantly finding ways of creating more fun and new content. I thank Prichard, my elder brother, who saw untapped potential and encouraged me to explore it further,” he said.
While it is great that he can bring business to different restaurants, he equally notes that many of them, however, struggle to match the sudden rise in demand.
“Small restaurants do not have the capacity to deal with high demand and fail to deliver flawless service to customers after my posts.
“This sometimes affects my work as some followers reach out thinking I was involved in a marketing gimmick of some sort.”
His goal is to be an anchor of food and travel reviews in Southern Africa.
Online Reporter