Nhau/Indaba Marketers Shine As Publication’s Impact Is Hailed


Players in the media and marketing sectors should take advantage of new trends in information and communication technologies to break through in this digital era, a leadership expert has said.

Dr Elias Chakabwata, president and founder of Impact Training Institute (ITI), said this at the annual Nhau/Indaba Marketer of the Year awards ceremony held in Harare last Friday.

From left: Nhau/Indaba founding editor Mtandazo Dube, Anesu Blessing Muveswa (Marketer of the year 2022) and guest of honour Dr. Elias Chakabwata

He acknowledged the role of online media platforms in marketing and urged players re-calibrate and reset their minds to keep pace with advancements in technology as everything is moving fast.

Dr Chakabwata said organisations should take advantage of the current technology dynamics and possess the right attitude in order to succeed in their various businesses.

“The world is changing fast. The information I am giving you here is current but may be challenged or discarded as irrelevant tomorrow. Why? Because information is changing very fast,” said Dr Chakabwata.

“Therefore, as Nhau/Indaba journalists and marketers, everything begins with attitude. The difference in marketing is attitude. Where others see challenges, others see opportunities. Winners are people who do not quit while quitters are winners who actually quit. You can become your own leader; the sky is no longer the limit there are break throughs in the sky.”

Dr Chakabwata urged advertisers present at the event to move with the times.

Dr Elias Chakwabwata and his wife (left) following proceedings

“Move with the times. I recently flighted a full-page advert with the traditional media and only got one response after splashing it in various publications. But whenever I place an advert on the Nhau/Indaba Online News platform, my phone jams with responses,” Dr Chakabwata said.

He also emphasised team work and partnerships as the panacea to success and lauded the role played by Nhau/Indaba to prop up his organisation.

“In life if you want to go to the next level, you need the next person, therefore partnerships are very important … Never forget the people that helped you go up the ladder.

“We would like to thank Nhau/Indaba as Impact Training Institute (ITI), we are growing in leaps and bounds. We have risen from obscurity to visibility because of your efforts as a team. Thank you for a job well done… I am proud to be part of your success story,” he said.

“Things may start very small but they grow, that is life. I have noticed quite a number of things that are happening with Nhau/Indaba. The readership has increased and the audience is quite enormous now.”

On the recognition of the excelling marketers, the guest of honour said: “The behaviour you award is likely to be repeated. Human beings excel when they are affirmed and we would like to take our hats off to the management of this organisation who are taking time to award those who worked tirelessly to push the vision and mission of this organisation.”

Lastly, he encouraged marketers to develop a thick skin to enable them to conquer characters they meet in the line of their work who are bullies, overly critical and discouraging.

In his brief but loaded remarks, Nhau/Indaba founding Editor Mtandazo Dube challenged marketers to maintain team work and prepare themselves for challenges and opportunities in the coming year.

Dube, who also addressed the invited stakeholders directly, said placing an advert on the platform should not be an end in itself, but that companies must learn to turn leads they get from the feedback into sales.

“This is how you get value out of Nhau; the same amount of time, energy, money, effort you put into securing your product, machinery, skill, the shop or space from where to operate and setting up different departments – is the same that you should do for your marketing department.

“When you place an advert on Nhau or any other platform that you use – let it not end there. The 50, 100, 300 responses that your advert gets should not be an end in themselves … they are only leads.

“As an organisation, a small business or even a solo trader, you need to have time to respond/follow up on each and every inquiry, it can be laborious, but it has to be done if you want to get value for money.”

Marketer of the Year Anesu Blessing Muvezwa, who outclassed all the 12 marketers to grab the prestigious accolade, praised Nhau/Indaba Media Group and its visionary chairman Mr Biggie Chinoperekwei for the opportunity to be part of the team.

Mr A. Vandit (Director Marketing & International Affairs, Parul University India) and Mr C. Mudoti (Parul University Country [Zimbabwe] Representative) pose with Anesu Muvezwa (Centre) after receiving his award.

“I would like to thank the entire Nhau leadership. If they had not executed this vision, this idea, I do not know where I would be right now. All of our stakeholders would not be here with us as well.”

Muvezwa also lauded the role of team work, saying without his colleagues he would not have bagged the award.

Aluice Shingirai Gweme came second while Bezel Muzembi was awarded Best Junior Marketer. Journalist and actor Conrad Mwanawashe was outstanding as Director of Ceremonies, holding the event together flawlessly from start to finish. Stakeholders in attendance were scrambling for his contact details after the event, with most of them eager to hire him for their own gigs.

Director of Ceremony Conrad Mwanawashe (left) congratulates Bezel Muzembi (right) for becoming Best Junior Marketer.
Director of Ceremony Conrad Mwanawashe (left) congratulates Aluice Shingirai Gweme (right) for becoming Marketer of the year Second Runner-Up.

Staffers and Clients following proceedngs

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