ZIMBABWE'S creative sector has taken a major step towards professionalisation after Magitare Africa and the Project Management Institute Zimbabwe (PMIZ) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to equip artists with project management skills and pathways to internationally recognised professional certification.
The partnership comes at a time when Zimbabwe's creative economy is becoming increasingly competitive, with artists under growing pressure to complement their creative talent with strong business, organisational and leadership skills.
Organisers say the initiative seeks to bridge that gap by embedding project management principles into the creative sector, enabling practitioners to better plan, execute and sustain their work while preserving institutional knowledge.
The partnership was announced during an Introduction to Project Management for Creatives workshop in Harare, which brought together participants from the music, dance, theatre, arts education and arts administration sectors.
The MoU commits both organisations to a long-term programme of training, professional development and pathways to internationally recognised project management certification for creatives.
PMIZ Harare Chapter president Anesu Vere described the partnership as a bridge between the project management profession and the creative sector, pledging to mentor creatives interested in pursuing certification.
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“That's what project management is all about. And we are happy as PMIZ to be in partnership with Magitare Africa so that we can deliver this and help you so you can better create projects and move your careers forward in a very structured manner,” Anesu said.
Magitare Africa executive director Tariro Chaniwa said the partnership was about more than improving project delivery, noting that one of the creative sector's biggest challenges was lack of documented systems and institutional memory.
“By introducing project management tools, frameworks and processes, creatives can begin building blueprints that preserve knowledge, strengthen organisations and create legacies that can be passed on to future generations,” Chaniwa said.
British Council representative Chipo Kanyumbu said project management principles underpin large-scale development programmes, arguing that the discipline is as much a creative enabler as it is a corporate one.
The workshop forms part of Magitare Africa's broader capacity-building agenda and builds on lessons from the British Council's SoCreative eLearning Programme, which has helped to connect Zimbabwean creatives with business, leadership and entrepreneurship training.
Organisers said the initiative responded to a changing creative economy, where lower barriers to entry mean professionalism, sound governance and effective project management increasingly distinguish sustainable careers from short-lived projects.
The workshop was supported by the British Council, the embassy of Switzerland in Zimbabwe, PMIZ, the Zimbabwe German Society and Magitare Africa, reflecting growing international interest in strengthening Zimbabwe's creative industries.