Story by Patience Nyagato
AS Zimbabwe looks to grow its creative economy, experts in the industrial sector are sharing ideas on how to turn local talent into global stars at the Creative Economy Week in Harare.
Africa’s music industry is no longer emerging; it is leading
Nigeria has set the pace, exporting chart-topping stars and reshaping the global sound.
Now, Zimbabwe is positioning itself to tap into that same model.
At Creative Economy Week in Zimbabwe, one of Africa’s most influential labels, Mavin Records, is part of the conversation at a music master class held in Harare.
The powerhouse label behind global names like Rema and Ayra Starr is sharing insights into how strategic branding, talent development and production excellence have turned African artists into international stars.
“Afrobeats is a melting pot of sounds and influences. We intentionally immersed ourselves in other territories, assimilated foreign pop sounds and blended them with authentic Nigerian experiences. That cultural integration helped our music travel,” Mavin Records, Publishing Manager, Akachi Vincent Igboko said.
In Nigeria, record labels played a critical role, providing funding, networks and strategy.
For Zimbabwe, where talent is abundant but infrastructure is developing, Akachi believes this presents a key lesson: without strong label systems or organised collectives, breaking beyond borders becomes far more difficult.
“From the time I got here and interacted with a fee artist i have realised that there is a lot of talent in Zimbabwe, but what I think will make them go far is changing the structures on the ground. You cannot really do it alone. Labels bring networks, resources and expertise. There’s often a glass ceiling when you’re completely independent. To scale globally, you need a dedicated team behind you,” Vincent Igboko said.
Magixx, a rising Nigerian voice also signed to Mavin records, echoed that regional partnerships are equally important in breaking new markets.
“When you collaborate, you tap into new audiences. Two fan bases come together, and that expands your reach globally,” he said.
For Zimbabwean artists attending the master class, the message is clear: authenticity must be matched with structure.
“They are unapologetic about who they are. That authenticity creates global space and that is something we can embrace. What this master-class shows is clear: talent alone might not be enough. To compete globally, Zimbabwean artists need not just creativity, but the backing of strong label systems, teams with networks, resources and strategy that can elevate local music to the world stage,” Rising Zimbabwean musicians, Melissa said.
The music master class, bringing together Zimbabwean artists and Nigerian producers and executives, is part of Creative Economy Week is aimed at building platforms that help local talent scale beyond borders.
