Tinaye Agere
Sunday Mail Reporter
The Sunday Mail has consolidated its standing as the most widely read weekly newspaper in the country after it was named the second runner-up in the print media category at the Superbrand 2023 Brand of the Year awards held in Harare on Friday.
Our sister paper, The Herald, was the winner in the category.
The Sunday Mail editor Victoria Ruzvidzo said the publication continues to set high standards.
“This is a result of team work and our insistence on high quality work. We have all played a part and we are excited that The Sunday Mail is a Superbrand.
“We give all glory and honour unto God.
“Nothing beats teamwork, determination and the willpower that we have entrenched in the team on The Sunday Mail.”
“We promise our readers, advertisers and all stakeholders that we will continue to work hard and give of our best. Times and trends are changing in terms of content packaging and consumption, but we promise to be equal to the task.”
The Herald editor Hatred Zenenga said: “Once again, we are delighted that our brand continues to dominate in the print media sector. We belong up there, soaring higher and higher.”
Zimpapers also dominated the FinKing National Business Awards on the same night, where the group scooped the Most Rapidlly Innovative Business accolade, while Ruzvidzo scooped the Leader in Business Integrity award.
Business Weekly editor Hebert Zharare was awarded the Leader in Business Networking gong while his paper got The Best in Business Concepts Development award.
Digital and Publishing Division advertising and marketing manager Mrs Phillipa Gomo was named the National Advertising and Marketing Manager of the Year.
In a speech read on her behalf by her Permanent Secretary, Dr Takaruza Munyanyiwa, at the Superbrand awards, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbra Rwodzi, who was the guest of honour, urged marketers to invest in building strong Zimbabwean brands, which will compete globally.
“I would like to congratulate all those who will be accorded the Superbrand status this evening and encourage them to make the most of such recognition.
“It should not only end in receiving a trophy but also should actually accentuate brand excellence. Let this event motivate other brands to work harder, exceeding their potential in their own quest for excellence,” the minister said.
She applauded Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector for building local brands by increasing the quantity of locally produced goods in shops.
“According to the CZI (Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries) manufacturing sector report, shelf occupancy of locally manufactured goods has increased from 63 percent to about 80 percent, a development which is set to continue bolstering Zimbabwe’s comparative, competitive and adaptability advantages to move the economy up the value chains.
“Zimbabwe continues to witness increases in investments, exports, production and capacity utilisation, which have all contributed invaluably towards the country’s economic growth trajectory,” she said.
This year’s Marketers Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) Superbrand awards ran under the theme “Anchoring Brands Success on ESG”.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu