Zim actress chipidza shines in Uganda

Tafara Chibanda

Local actress, Chimwemwe Chipidza, has made a mark on the African stage after being named first runner-up at the African Monologue Challenge, a prestigious competition held in Uganda.

Chipidza’s impressive performance, highlighting her talent on a continental stage, earned her a prize of US$500.

The competition gathered actors from across Africa all competing for a lead role in a Pan-African film along with other exciting rewards.

She competed against finalists from Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Cote D’Ivoire, Cameroon, and Malawi.

In an interview with this publication, Chipidza expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to represent Zimbabwe.

“The competition was about Pan African Unity, empowerment, and liberation and that is a message I really care about and look forward to investing more of my time into such efforts.

“I am very excited; I was not looking forward nor expecting to win but I did come as the first runner-up.

“I had not performed well in the voting section of the competition, placing me in the seventh spot because this section consisted of 30 percent of the final mark.

“So, when I came second in the competition I was like wow, that is amazing, I was really shocked,” she said.

Chipidza expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to network and find opportunities for her work.

“I really learned a lot from the competition and have the opportunity to network well and find opportunities how we can really create an impact within the creative industry for this kind of work so I look forward to putting my contribution to work,” she said.

Chipidza’s acting career began whilst she was still in high school, in 2016 she acted in “Much Ado About Nothing” at the British Embassy, held in honour of the renowned English playwright and poet William Shakespeare.

She is also known for her remarkable work as the assistant director of the film “Cook Off”.

In 2020, she landed a role in the college-based series “The Blue Roof” produced by College Central Productions.