Zimura spearheads transformation in Zimbabwe’s music sector through consultative meetings

THE Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) has been making strides in empowering musicians and promoting a fair and sustainable music industry through its consultative meetings and digital initiatives.

In recent months, Zimura has hosted a series of consultative meetings in Harare and Bulawayo, as well as other places, bringing together musicians, producers, and industry experts to discuss pressing issues and find solutions that benefit all parties involved.

The meetings have provided a platform for open discussions on issues such as copyright law, royalties, and the challenges faced by musicians in the digital age.

In a recent interview, Zimura deputy director Henry Makombe reiterated the Association’s mandate to engage with musicians in their respective places.

“We are glad that a lot of artistes visited our stand at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair last month where we were having free registration as Zimura members for them.

“We have been encouraged by the turnouts we see for the meetings, giving us a nudge to continue educating our clients about how we operate and how they can be compensated for their work,” he said.

Makombe outlined the calendar of events for the year, characterised by on-going provincial workshops which will be taken to Esigodini, Hwange, Bulawayo, Harare, Chinhoyi, Marondera, Bindura, and Gwanda over the course of the year.

In addition to its consultative meetings, Zimura is also driving the music industry towards a digital future.

The association has launched an online portal for musicians to register their works and access their royalties digitally.

This move is expected to increase efficiency and transparency in the payment of royalties, ensuring that musicians receive fair compensation for their work.

Zimura’s digital push is also aimed at promoting Zimbabwean music globally to increase reach and ensure the administration of music copyright through effective and efficient collection and distribution of royalties.

The organisation is working on creating a digital platform for musicians to showcase their work and connect with international audiences.

Makombe also highlighted that Zimura works closely with Composers, Authors, and Publishers Association of South Africa (Capasso) as well as Unifan in the distribution of royalties outside Zimbabwe

This initiative is expected to increase the visibility and reach of Zimbabwean music, providing new opportunities for musicians to collaborate and grow their fan base.

“We are still committed to supporting musicians and promoting a sustainable music industry in Zimbabwe. Our consultative meetings and digital initiatives are just the beginning.

“We are excited to see the impact they will have on the music industry and look forward to continuing our work with musicians and stakeholders to drive positive change. We want to see a mass uploading of content on digital platforms like CD Baby, and Distrokid so that as Zimbabwean artistes, we are internationally recognised and compensated for the work we do. We urge artistes to come so that we help them upload their content on the aforementioned platforms,” he said.

Makombe also said that they expect to start construction work on their Bulawayo stand situated at Emhlangeni.

“We are still looking at building a structure at Emhlangeni that will serve a creative hub for musicians and we are appealing for sponsorship and partnerships with regards to that,” said Makombe.

As the music sector continues to evolve, Zimura’s consultative meetings and digital initiatives are poised to play a significant role in shaping its future.

Notably, Zimura’s consultative meetings and digital push are a significant step forward in promoting a fair and sustainable music industry in Zimbabwe.

By empowering musicians and driving the industry towards a digital future, Zimura is helping to create new opportunities for growth and success.

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