HARARE, May 26 (NewsDay Live) — Talent search competition Dreamstar Zimbabwe is returning for its landmark 10th anniversary season after selecting 10 finalists following quarterfinal and semifinal contests held on May 23.
The competition, launched in 2015, has become one of Zimbabwe’s leading talent development platforms, transforming emerging performers into nationally recognized artists.
Organizers said this year’s edition attracted more than 500 contestants from all 10 provinces. Dreamstar Zimbabwe is co-organized by the China-Zimbabwe Exchange Centre and Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation.
The finalists represent a diverse mix of performers from across the country and include one act drawn from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service rehabilitation program.
- NPRC sends SOS for drug abusers
- Experts bemoan shortage of mental healthcare professionals
- Experts bemoan shortage of mental healthcare professionals
- Drug induced mental health cases overwhelm ZPCS institutions
Keep Reading
Walter Chanaka, managing director of the China-Zimbabwe Exchange Centre and Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation, said the competition had grown beyond entertainment into a youth empowerment initiative.
“This is an inclusive platform helping many talented youths who lack funding. It fights anti-drug abuse by giving our young people purpose and a positive outlet for their energy. We are doing our part for the development of the youth and the arts of Zimbabwe,” Chanaka told NewsDay.
Organizers said Dreamstar Zimbabwe will partner with financial institutions to provide contestants with short courses in financial literacy and digital marketing.
The program will also award scholarships for finalists to study arts-related disciplines in China as part of its cultural exchange initiatives.
The grand finale is scheduled for Aug. 15, 2026, at the 7 Arts Theatre in Harare.
Chanaka said this year’s production would introduce a new creative format to mark the competition’s 10-year milestone.
“I believe in my young team to come up with new, creative ways of presenting this milestone celebration. This will be different from all the finales we have done before,” he said.
Dreamstar Zimbabwe has increasingly aligned itself with broader rehabilitation and youth development initiatives that promote the arts as a tool for economic empowerment and social transformation.
