Online Reporter
Nelson Gahadza
Senior Business Reporter
The country’s largest and only listed media group, Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Limited, has appointed Mrs Prisca Makandwa as its new Chief Finance Officer, effective February 1, 2026.
The appointment strengthens the group’s executive leadership as it deepens its digital transformation drive.
Mrs Makandwa replaces former CFO Mr Farai Matanhire, who left the group following leadership changes that also included the departure of former chief executive officer Mr Pikirayi Deketeke.
The top-level changes saw the appointment, in November last year, of veteran journalist Mr William Chikoto as substantive CEO, following his 10‑month stint as Acting CEO.
In a statement, Zimpapers chairperson Mrs Doreen Sibanda said the board was pleased to welcome Mrs Makandwa to the executive team at a time when the group is repositioning itself for sustainable growth in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
“Mrs Makandwa is a chartered accountant with more than 15 years’ experience as a senior finance professional across a wide range of organisations,” Mrs Sibanda said.
She holds a Master of Science in Strategic Management from Chinhoyi University of Technology, a Bachelor of Accounting Science (Honours) degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA), and a Bachelor of Accounting Honours degree from the University of Zimbabwe.
Her professional background includes leading finance and operations functions in complex, multi‑stakeholder environments, with strong exposure to governance, risk management, compliance and strategic financial planning.
Before joining Zimpapers, Mrs Makandwa served as Finance and Operations director for the Accelerated and Comprehensive HIV Care for Epidemic Control in Zimbabwe (ACCE) Project at Zimbabwe Health Interventions.
She has extensive experience working on programmes supporting the Ministry of Health and Child Care in close collaboration with international funding partners, including USAID, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), UNICEF, the European Union and Australian Aid.
Mrs Makandwa is an active member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) and the Women Chartered Accountants Network in Zimbabwe (WeCAN Zimbabwe). She joined the Zimpapers board as a non‑executive director on January 9, 2024, and has since resigned from that role to assume her new position as an executive board member with effect from February 1, 2026.
Mrs Sibanda, commenting on the group’s financials for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, said Zimpapers continues to advance its digital transformation strategy, with a renewed focus on aligning digital audience growth to improved digital revenues.
“The group is now prioritising the alignment of digital audience growth with a clear focus on increasing digital revenues,” she said.
She noted that Zimpapers’ social media audiences have also continued to expand, driven largely by radio brands such as Star FM, whose Facebook following now exceeds 1,4 million, alongside an online listenership of more than 100 000.
