The Power of design, industry

Ronald Takudzwa Sambona
Correspondent
CREATIVE designer, MS Carol Dzimwasha’s journey is not merely a personal triumph – it is a rallying call for all Zimbabwean women constrained by patriarchal expectations.
Ms Dzimwasha’s creative awakening began in 2009, not with fanfare, but with resistance. Her then-husband forbade her from working, relegating her to a life of domestic silence.
But Ms Dzimwasha’s mother, the first designer she ever knew, intervened -inviting her to an audition that would change the course of her life.
She won the role, and with persistence, her husband reluctantly allowed her to attend, shadowing her every step. That project did not just earn Ms Dzimwasha an award; it ignited a revolution in her sense of self and her connection to Zimbabwe’s creative world.
In a country where invisibility is a sentence, Ms Dzimwasha chose connection, forging her own network, and refusing the role of housewife society had assigned her.
Today, as creative director of Cara Design Africa, Ms Dzimwasha is not a mere businesswoman – she is a movement builder.
Her design and manufacturing firm spans graphics, brewing, consulting, and artefact curation, with Ms Dzimwasha personally invested in every project.
Her passion for women’s economic empowerment is born from lived reality: “I know how hard it is to start with nothing, but an idea,” she said. Her mission is clear – help women learn faster, break barriers, and claim their space in every industry.
At her core, Ms Dzimwasha champions self-reliance as a right, not a privilege.
“People don’t need saving. They need connections,” she insisted.
Whether she is balancing business with mentorship or building a brand at 2am, Ms Dzimwasha’s motive is unwavering: restoring dignity through work for women who have been told to shrink themselves.
Her craft is multifaceted – branding for start-ups, packaging for SMEs, and running a small-batch craft brewing operation.
“A good design opens doors,” said Ms Dzimwasha, and her work is leaving footprints across the region.
She urges women and girls to embrace both art and industry.
“You do not have to choose. You can – and must – claim both,” she said.
Ms Dzimwasha reclaims intuition as a competitive edge, not a stereotype. “I can read a room, pick up what is unsaid – that’s not just intuition, it is power.”
Her understanding of power itself is revolutionary.
“It is not about shouting in boardrooms, but about women being taken seriously in everything they do – training others until they stand on their own, and honouring commitments.”
Society wants women in boxes – mother or CEO, soft or tough. Ms Dzimwasha shatters these binaries.
“I do payroll, packaging, calls, meetings, quality control,” she said.
A living testament that multiplicity is strength. She creates space for other women to learn, refusing to move forward alone.
“Being a woman is not a limitation. We build softer, but we build to last.”
For Ms Dzimwasha, creativity is advocacy.
“I don’t just design a label – I design divinity.”
Every brand she builds for a female founder is a declaration: women are not merely trying – they are competing and winning.
Ms Dzimwasha’s advocacy is not talk – it is a logo that gets a woman paid. Her work is the answer to whether women belong in any industry.
Gender-based violence thrives in silence and dependence; Ms Dzimwasha’s work dismantles both.
She equips women to leave abusive environments, giving them economic tools and agency.
Financial independence is not negotiable – every woman receives free branding consultation and payment plans, removing barriers so they can compete from day one. Training in manufacturing and business ensures knowledge is as accessible as opportunity.
Visibility is another battleground.
Ms Dzimwasha takes the stage at expos and festivals, representing women in manufacturing and design, rewriting what is possible for Zimbabwean girls.
Her mother, Ms Angie Dimingo, and Ms Mercy Pachawo – women who proved that creativity, technical prowess, and entrepreneurship are women’s birth rights – inspire her daily.
Ms Dzimwasha’s call to society is urgent: “Put contracts in women’s hands and amplify them with action. Don’t regulate us out of the market.”
She called for more vocational training, hiring for skills, and purposeful support for women and girls.
“Your dollar is a vote – cast it for equity. Amplify women’s voices by treating them as experts, not exceptions,” she said.