Story by Tapiwa Machemedze
Content creators have formed an association, the Content Creators Association of Zimbabwe (COCAZ), to empower one another in the line of duty and enhance development of the new media industry.
Renowned content creator and interim committee chairperson, Victor ‘Doc Vikela’ Mpofu outlines the association’s vision during its unveiling in Shamva this Friday.
‘We are there purely for content creators. There are gaps we have seen within the ways we were practicing our work. The interim committee is deliberating on key issues which affect creators. We are saying what are the things they want, what are the hindering factors to having a content creator with a better livelihood than the life they have today. Our vision is an empowered content creator contributing to the national fiscus,” he said.
The organisation, which has 400 members to date, has a bias towards social media content creators.
COCAZ Vice Secretary Sue Ellen Chirenje explaoned, “All interim board members were here for our second meeting. When we say content creators we are talking of all who create content, comedians, those who create music, vlogs, all those who post on YouTube, Instagram Facebook and we are calling upon them to come too.”
COCAZ is the brain child of two young men Takunda Tapfuma based in Harare and Wellington Bakaimani from Shamva who got inspired while working with young content creators.
“I run an organisation called Simuka Upenyu where we empower young people who are into art, sports and staff. So, my engagement with youths in the creative sector has inspired me after I realised the challenges that they have been facing. They are talented but most of them lack skills in terms of administration, negotiating contracts and in terms of coming up with things that have got substance and positively market the country and also contribute towards their economic development and the development of the country,” said Bakaimani.
With social media now a multi-million-dollar industry, the content creators’ association hopes content creators will generate more content to market local culture and make even greater impact that extends beyond the country’s borders.
