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Marketers Tee Off A Worthy Cause
The Marketers Association of Zimbabwe, (MAZ) will be hosting the seventh edition of the MAZ Charity Golf, on Friday 21 July, 2023 at the ZRP Golf Club.
The key drive behind this event is to encourage marketers to use the platform to network and also contribute to charity.
This year`s fundraising objective is; ‘Roofing, plastering and painting of Masasa Clinic in Buhera District.’
MAZ Head Marketing and Operations, Mrs Enia Zimunya highlighted that the Charity golf day is a corporate social responsibility initiative that involves marketers.
“As MAZ this year we decided to shift to the health sector targeting Manicaland province where we want to assist in the construction of Masasa Clinic in Buhera.
“Proceeds from the gold tournament will go towards the refurbishment of this clinic in a bid to make a difference to the people in Buhera area,” said Mrs Zimunya.
Masasa clinic has a catchment area covering 40 villages.
The staff compliment at full capacity is 8 nurses but is currently operating at 25% capacity with only 2 nurses occasioned by shortage of staff accommodation.
“Therefore our target is to raise funds for roofing, plastering and painting of Masasa clinic from the Charity Golf day. We are therefore inviting golfers and corporate teams to come and join us fulfil this obligation by playing with us on the 21st of July,” said Zimunya.
She said registration for the Charity Golf day is still on-going.
MAZ is working in conjuction with the Marketers Golf Society for Charity Golf Day.
The inaugural MAZ Charity Golf day was held on 4 August 2017 and since then the Association has not looked back, making it an annual event.
The Charity initiatives are rotated in provinces annually.
The Association has over the years been involved in different corporate social responsibility initiatives through the MAZ Charity Golf tournament.
MAZ through the ‘donate a shoe’ campaign donated 300 pairs of shoes to Chokera Primary School in Masvingo in 2018 and Mathew Rusike Children’s Home where over 300 pairs of shoes were donated in 2019.
In 2020, MAZ donated sunscreen lotions worth thousands of dollars to the Albino Association of Zimbabwe after hosting charity golf day under the theme ‘donate a hat campaign’.
The initial plan was to raise funds to purchase 10 000 sun hats for people with Albinism but the cause was then changed to buy sunscreen lotions as they were very expensive and a basic need for them.
In 2021, the Charity Golf day was held under theme ‘Prison Campaign’ an initiative that sought to raise funds to purchase toiletries and blankets for prison inmates in Mashonaland West province.
The donation of blankets, groceries and toiletries was handed over to Chinhoyi prison after the tournament.
Last year’s Charity Golf was held under theme ‘Rescue a teen from substance abuse’ and the Association partnered with Teen Rescue Mission, a non-profit organisation based in Chitungwiza.
Teen Rescue mission sought assistance for the construction of a fowl run to assist the youths in the area by equipping them with self-help projects in order for them to stay away from drugs.
MAZ has since handed over the fowl run to Teen Rescue Mission.
Victoria Falls was the place to be from the 19th to the 22nd of October 2022.The conference which was bringing together dynamic marketers from all over Africa roared into life in the majestic town of Victoria Falls at the prestigious Elephant Hills hotel on the 19th of October 2022. The atmosphere was awash with excitement and one could feel the high expectations and anticipation in the atmosphere.
Dr Matongo from Zambia, a prolific speaker, delivered his speech in a way that exposed his in-depth knowledge in marketing. He opened up the conference with a talk on Culture as the new marketing currency. He highlighted the fact that failure to understand culture can lead to a marketing disaster in any given market. One must strive to grasp the culture of the market in which they are operating in order for them to capture the market sales wise. He pointed out that your company culture can be a big marketing tool because people are easily attracted to a great culture. He also said customers do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it.
Mrs Doreen Nyiramugisha from Uganda tackled the topic, The face of the African Consumer; A segmentation profiling of the African consumer. She clearly profiled the different customers in Africa and how specific strategies should be devised for each segment.
The official opening of the conference was done by the Honourable Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting, Mrs Monica Mutsvangwa. She emphasised that all marketers in the continent are important and they play an instrumental role in influencing the trajectory of the economies from which they come. She also highlighted that she will continue to support the African marketers in every way so that the profession of marketing can grow in its recognition and influence. She congratulated the hosts and the organisers on a vibrant and well organised conference.
Dr Alistair Mokoena from South Africa lit up the room as he articulated the topic, Digital transformation in a way that laid out developmental and tangible solutions. He articulated some of the digital innovations that are being rolled out to connect and support Africa as a continent while meeting the unique needs technologically that have resulted in loss of lives because of lack of danger depiction equipment.He left all marketers with the notion that there is hope for Africa and that there are be-spoke solutions that are in process to meet Africa’s glaring needs.
A very intense reality check discussion was done through a panellist session which had several marketing authorities from across Africa namely, Michael Khomani (Malawi), Omotola Bamigbaye-Elatuyi(Nigeria), and Helen McIntee (South Africa).The topic under discussion was, The Gen Z:tapping into the future African urban consumer. It was discussed and agreed that the Gen Z segment of the population can no longer be ignored, constituting 60% of Africa’s population. All marketers across Africa need to be intentional and creative about coming up with strategies that reach them where they are. Their attention span is short, averaging 8 to 15 seconds at the most. Messaging through adverts directed at them must be short and to the point with the first three seconds creating a hook factor that entices them to want to watch the full advertisement.
Delegates had an alternative choice to attend another panelist session which was covering the topic, Social media platforms in Africa: a snapshot on usage and relevance in Africa. The panelists comprised of seasoned marketers namely, Tarisai Moffat (South Africa), Tariro Muchena (Zimbabwe) and Sam Mwangi(Kenya). The panelists in this session showcased the key tenets of the different social media platforms. What was particularly interesting was the showcasing of real testimonials of brands that have achieved high sales through deliberate campaigns on select social media platforms. It was intriguing to see the brands before the campaign and then to see the transformation and the numbers after the campaign. A campaign that stood out was the Edgars Sho Majozi campaign which completely injected new life into the Edgars brand and reflected tangibly in the achievement of high sales.
Professor Robert Ebo Hinson from Ghana did justice to the topic, Creativity thinking: Bringing the sizzle back in the marketing campaigns. He articulated the expectations and interpretations of great campaigns according to some of the leading corporate personnel who are heading marketing departments in global brands. He also emphasised the need to ensure that there is synergy between promises made through advertising campaigns and delivery on the ground when customers take the call to action to respond to ecstatic campaigns. When there is no fulfilment of promise on the ground the end result is that you have active de-campaigners of your brand which is very damaging in the long term.
Matthew Van Der Valk from South Africa shed some light on the topic, Dark marketing. He pointed out that dark marketing has to do with going beyond the line. The foundation of regulation is restriction and restriction is the foundation of creativity. Regulation can stop brands from influencing people but they cannot stop people from influencing each other. So dark marketing seeks to close in on little gaps that exist in communication.
Mr Alexander James Goma from Nigeria, brought insights to the African marketers through his coverage of the topic Route to market in emerging markets: designs and enablers of developing a supply chain route to market strategy. He highlighted that the key elements in developing an effective Route to market are channel strategy, route to consumer partner selection and clear supply and logistics.
Ms Lucia Musau from Kenya demonstrated from her own experience in the Kenyan market how as her topic suggested, Integration of E-commerce activities in marketing strategy is the key to unlocking success factors in Africa. Lucia pointed out that the onset of Covid 19 brought with it opportunities that accelerated e-commerce in Kenya and the world at large. She highlighted that they found opportunities to partner with e-commerce sites to ensure consumers had products.
Dr Sibongile Moyo from Zimbabwe, the CEO of Nedbank zeroed in on the topic, Reality of climate change: A relook of marketing and PR activities on the environment. She highlighted that there is a need to take action now through adaptation to protect livelihoods and ecosystems. There is a need to finance the transition to a low carbon or net zero economy.
Overall, the conference was a huge success. This is also based on the feedback from all the delegates. Next year it will be hosted by Uganda and plans are already underway to ensure that they meet the high standard of excellence that was set by the inaugural host, Zimbabwe. Marketers are looking forward to descending Uganda in 2023.
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Marketers Association of Zimbabwe has joined the national fight against drug and substance abuse by youths in the country through its Annual Charity Golf.
Drug and substance abuse is a national scourge that is destroying the youths and future leaders of Zimbabwe. Any nation is founded on hope of a bright future and, that bright future is premised on today’s youth, who are entrusted with the responsibility of carrying the country economically, politically, socially, and culturally.
According to a research carried out by the Health Professionals Empowerment Trust in Zimbabwe, 50 percent of admissions to mental institutions have been attributed to substance-induced disorders. The research went on to single out youths as the most affected group of individuals in the country.
The MAZ Charity Foundation, an arm of Marketers Association of Zimbabwe has embarked on a fundraising whose objective is to facilitate income generating projects under the theme ‘Rescue-A-Teen from Substance Abuse’, targeted at teens in the areas of drug and substance abuse in partnership with Teen Rescue Mission Trust.
MAZ Executive Secretary Mr Gillian Rusike said this year, the MAZ Charity Foundation which spearheads the MAZ corporate social responsibility initiatives decided to partner the Teen Rescue Mission Trust in the fight against drug abuse in the country.
“As an Association we have decided to join the national fight against drug and substance abuse. This is a real scourge that requires a collective effort from all citizens and corporates at large,” said Mr Rusike.
He said MAZ this year partnered The Teen Rescue Mission Trust, a non- profit community based organisation which focuses on teens and youths in areas of drug and substance abuse, premature sex and teen crime both in urban and rural areas, with help of different organisations and sponsors.
Mr Rusike said the Charity Golf Tournament will be held on the 29th of July at the ZRP Golf Club and the target is to raise USD10 000 which will go towards the construction and facilitation of income generating projects on a piece land the Trust acquired in the Seke area.
He said then Association believes in corporate social responsibility programs thus they have made it a mandate to keep on helping those in need.
He appealed to corporates and all golf players to be part of the Charity Golf Tournament.
“We are encouraging both individuals and corporates to come through and tee-off for Charity on Friday.
Partnerships and sponsorships are also welcome,” said Mr Rusike.
Teen Rescue Mission Director, Mr Abraham Matuka highlighted that his organization was grateful for the partnership with MAZ.
“As an organisation which is fighting against the rise of the drug abuse pandemic, we are happy to have MAZ coming on board to empower these youths through projects to be set on the organisation stand.
“We are working towards constructing structures for income generating projects at our stand in Seke and we would also want to start a chicken project which will be run by the youths thereby keeping them busy as well as giving them a source of income. It is mostly unemployment and idleness which drives them to drugs,” said Mr Matuka.
He said the projects will go a long way in empowering the youths and community as well.
MAZ has over the years been involved in different corporate social responsibility initiatives through the MAZ Charity Golf Tournament that include the ‘donate a shoe campaign’ which saw the Association handing over school shoes to Chokera Primary School in Masvingo in 2018 and donated school shoes to Mathew Rusike in Epworth in 2019 as well.
In 2020, proceeds from the Charity Golf Tournament were used to buy sunscreen lotions which were donated to the Zimbabwe Albino Association.
In the same year, the MAZ Charity Foundation responded to the Covid 19 pandemic by donating food baskets and other basic commodities at the Methodist church in Epworth.
The Charity Foundation also donated stationery to Dambudzo Primary School in the Midlands province. The school had its roof blown away by heavy rains and a lot of infrastructure and learning material was destroyed.
This year, the Charity Foundation handed over food, basic commodities and toiletries to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) in Chinhoyi.
The donation was made possible through proceedings from the 2021 Charity Golf Tournament held under the theme ‘Prison Campaign’ as well as groceries donated by National Foods.
MAZ corporate and individual members participate in the annual tournament but it is a Charity tournament open to everyone who is interested in playing golf.
To partner MAZ on this noble cause please contact Monica on 0784 625 812 or email events@mazim.co.zw
Tatenda Marongwe was adjudged at the Marketer of the Year at the 2021 Exceptional Marketing Awards held in Inyanga last October.
She is the Group Marketing Executive for Insurance firm ZIMNAT.
She chronicles her journey to the top with us:
1. May you briefly tell us about yourself? Whom is Tatenda family schools attended etc?
Tatenda, a firstborn in a family of four is married to Kudzai Marongwe and we are currently blessed with two lovely flowers; Watidaishe and Watipaishe.
Career wise, Tatenda is a proficient marketer with over 12 years’ extensive experience spanning across various sectors which include Telecommunications, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Insurance. Insurance is her “happy place” having occupied various Marketing positions within the insurance industry from a Marketing Specialist at First Mutual Holdings Limited, to a Marketing Executive at Old Mutual Life Assurance Company and now the Group Marketing Executive for Zimnat Group, a diversified, innovative and game changing insurance giant in Zimbabwe.
She is an advocate of creativity, innovation and delivery of results through leading diverse teams. She has developed a proficiency in providing innovative strategic insights not only in marketing but also in positioning businesses for growth.
Tatenda holds a Master of Business Administration degree, B. Com Honours Degree in Business (MSU) and a certificate in Digital Marketing through the University of Stellenbosch South Africa amongst other certificates in Project Management and Events Planning and Management.
Outside work, Tatenda loves baking, event management, adventure and creating a positive impact to people and communities surrounding her.
I started off my career as an attachee at a telecoms company, Powertel Communications many years back (chuckle). I then moved into advertising as an Account Executive briefly before I was taken on a management Trainee program at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, where I underwent rigorous training which I give much of the credit to for turning me into a professional that I am today. The program was thorough. I then transitioned into insurance starting off as a Marketing Officer at First Mutual Holdings Limited. I then had a short stint in the FMCG industry employed by National Foods as a Senior Brand manager but in no time I bounced back into the insurance sector as a Marketing Executive at Old Mutual. Today I am making life better for our customers with the Zimnat team as the Group Marketing Executive.
Marketing chose me. I must confess, growing up, I had never dreamt of being in the marketing space….being this soft soul that I am. There were also so many stereotypes about who could become a marketer and definitely, I didn’t fit the space, but like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie put it across, “The problem with stereotypes is not that they aren’t true, but they are incomplete” and I am a testimony to it.
My passion had been in business management, running a profitable business. I followed my heart to a greater stage, but I then learnt that the heart of business is in marketing as it is the bridge between business and the consumer .I then specialised in Marketing and guess what, here we are today.
Doing the unthinkable. Breaking the internet. Causing chaos in the city (hiding my face and laughing emojis) and out brand trending on Twitter. I am referring to Zimnat’s Security plan and Assessment centre launch executions which caused havoc on the respective days of campaign executions. We placed a mysterious object, heavily guarded and covered in a white cloth at Joina City for security plan launch. As you would have experienced, there were unimaginable conspiracy theories around it so much that some high offices had to pay a visit to the activation site. Luckily, we had done our homework (winking emoji)
It means a lot to me. It means life and affirmation that the world is full of endless possibilities. This award made me realise that we live in a world of endless possibilities- only if one believes, is focused, determined and fearless or shall I say courageous. With increased access to information in this global village, there is no sky to limit anymore. It also means a lot to the Zimnat team. It shows that all our sweat, teamwork and hardwork has been recognised. Moreso, our brand is becoming a household name.
Simple. Away from the box thinking which we like to call Box 3 thinking. Which is about creating material fit for the future. In the period under review, we were deliberate about doing things differently as a team. Before rolling out any campaign, we would ask ourselves if anyone else could replicate it. If the answer was yes then we would immediately drop the idea. We would brainstorm until we got to an idea that we felt could not be replicated THEN YES WE KNEW THAT WOULD BE US. Our desire is to make life better and make Zimnat a household name. The world has become so competitive that extraordinary stuff is not good enough. Remarkable is the new normal as one of my mentors would say.
The desire to make a mental mark and learn. After all we never stop learning. I have had the privilege of meeting, working and interacting with many people from different backgrounds and levels of exposure. In all of them, I have found something worth carrying with me. From the village boy in the rural place to some industry captains I have had the privilege of sitting on a table with. People are amazing. I have therefore made a deliberate decision to learn from any interaction, emulate the good things and better still make a mental mark. Ultimately I am motivated by the desire to make the world a better place. Day by day, little by little, step by step.
Customer obsession. Putting the customer at the centre and front of everything that we do. Our purpose is to make life better and there is no better motivation for us than seeing people, our customers and stakeholders at large in better places. At Zimnat we also like memorable experiences right from how we introduce a service or product right to using or enjoying the product. Remember at Zimnat we seek to make life better.
Just watch the space. It is in our DNA to bring new and exciting products to the market. Obviously we will do it in a remarkable way. By the way have you heard about our latest offering?
Dare to dream, to be different. “The illiterate of the 21st century are not people who can’t read or write but people who can’t unlearn, learn and relearn.
It has not been easy with the pandemic. Like many industries we faced our fair share of difficulties. We had to quickly adjust and get used to dancing in the storm. As an individual I had to leave the comfort zone together with my team to bring out the best ideas that could take the business forward in such an environment.
I love speed, racing, fast cars and the adrenaline that comes with it. I went to the extent of visiting Ferrari World for the thrill but mmm the Ferrari Rossa in Abu Dhabi is the only thing that almost brought me to a breaking point …..Man, that roller coaster is fast (chuckle). The experience is too exhilarating.
Team work, perseverance and hard work. In life nothing comes easy. At Zimnat we work as a team. I owe it to my team and the support from our executive management level at the various SBUs of the business- Zimnat Life, Zimnat General Insurance, Zimnat Asset Management and Zimnat Financial Services.
I felt blank, I didn’t know what to do. It was only after a few seconds that I processed. I then read it as sign of affirmation from my industry colleagues. I felt proud of our brand, my team and myself.
Success at organisational level is not defined by efforts of single person but by collective efforts of solid support structures. To succeed one needs to build a functional team. Exciting results will follow. As they say if you want to go fast go alone. But to go further go together. Nothing can be further from the truth than this statement when it comes to corporate success.
The MAZ Charity Foundation, an arm of the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe in January handed over food and other basic commodities to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) in Chinhoyi.
The donation is part of the Association’s corporate social responsibility initiatives.
The toiletries were sourced and donated through MAZ’s Charity Golf Day where MAZ corporate and individual members participated in the annual tournament while the basic commodities included mealie meal and flour were donated by National Foods.
The MAZ Charity Foundation and MAZ staff travelled to the ZPCS, Chinhoyi Depot on January 28 to handover the donations to inmates.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Chinhoyi, Mr Samuel Matema a committee member of the MAZ Charity Foundation said it was such a great honour to be part of such an event which uplifts other people’s lives.
“As MAZ we don’t give out of abundance but out of sacrifice, and we believe in rebirth and resurrection thus we give sacrificially” he said
Speaking at the same ceremony, MAZ Executive Secretary Mr Gillian Rusike said they were driven to donate to ZPCS after learning of some of their challenges in the media.
“Early last year we saw in the newspapers that those in the correctional services were having a difficulties accessing basic commodities and we give thanks to the ZPCS officials for giving us such a prestigious opportunity to help out.”
“We decided to buy buckets, soap and other basic commodities in partnership with National Foods. We believe that in these times of the Covid 19 pandemic hygiene is of paramount importance and also the need for basic food stuffs,” he said
He encouraged all inmates to utilize opportunities availed during their time in prison to do what they desire most.
“I would want one day to see one of you in my office saying that I got a degree in marketing during my time in prison and I’m looking for a job or just saying that I motivated you to study while you serve your time in here, I would be happy,” he added.
The Provincial Public Relations Officer Mr Emmanuel Kondowe who happens to be appreciated MAZ for the donations and opportunity availed to the prisoners.
“I want to thank MAZ for this opportunity they have put in front of us, for this is a first time when our inmates are offered a chance to start afresh when they leave this place, therefore I urge each and every one of you to study and graduate one day you shall be free and will visit us just like these humble ladies and gentleman,” he said.
One of the female inmate gave thanks to MAZ Charity for the gifts they had been given.
“On behalf of my fellow inmates ,I’m really grateful for these donations that you have given to us , love is very important and this is great love that you have shown to us as prisoners, we are really grateful for your love”
She went on to thank MAZ Charity Foundation in partnership with National Foods on this initiative they are partaking in as an Association and said such opportunities should be extended to others as well.
Other MAZ Charity Foundation members who were part of the ceremony include, Mrs Enia Zimunya, Monica Nyawera, Tawanda Rusike and Tanaka Tapasowa also helped with the handover.
MAZ has been involved in different corporate social responsibility initiatives through the MAZ Charity Golf Tournament that include the donate a shoe campaign which saw the Association handing over school shoes to Chokera Primary School in Masvingo and to Mathew Rusike in Epworth.
In 2020, proceeds from then Charity Golf Tournament were used to buy sunscreen lotions which was donated to the Zimbabwe Albino Association. In the same year, the MAZ Charity Foundation responded to the Covid 19 pandemic by donating food baskets and other basic commodities at the Methodist church in Epworth.
The Charity Foundation also donated stationery to Dambudzo Primary School in the Midlands province. The school had its roof blown away by heavy rains and a lot of infrastructure and learning material was destroyed.
Whether your business is an established empire, or you were just starting to get your ideas out into the business world as a start-up organisation – the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a devastating impact on business operations worldwide. The main demise of businesses is the inability to adapt and entities that could not innovate and incorporate creative ways to sustain income have found it challenging to keep their heads above the water during this period where physical interaction with customers is limited. What is not, however, limited, is the ability to diversify business operations to include what is perhaps the only unphased aspect of life as we know it – technology.
This article explores the options that a business can adopt to do business during the lockdown period. The first and most important stage is the planning stage.
Planning during a pandemic focuses on prudent assumptions of the future position of the organisation. This entails that it is imperative to assess the future from a worst-case scenario position. The advantage of this approach versus the opposite is that it accounts for the unpredictability of the situation we find ourselves in and in general terms; overcompensating is far wiser than being underprepared. Companies routinely plan budgets, sales and marketing strategies, and operational adjustments. However, the most forward-thinking and progressive companies are also developing what are referred to as strategic technology plans.
A strategic technology plan is an assessment of a company’s current technological strengths and weaknesses. The assessment then establishes a roadmap to align technology with the way the company wants to do business. The economies of a planning exercise of this type are scaled to the size of the organisation. The bigger your business, the more value the implementation of technology planning is. However, smaller businesses will have a better change transition as far as adopting technology into their processes which makes it a suitable first step for all business sizes.
Our fourth and notable mention is TechSoup which takes a different approach to assessment by providing a series of online worksheets listing questions on specific aspects of technology.
If done correctly, technology planning can provide a foundation to fulfil your organizational mission. It will also help in the planning and procurement of funds to get the right technology for your business needs.
Effective collaboration has been compromised by the dispersion of workforces during the quarantine. In order to maintain team cohesion, the efficiency of communication must be the top priority. Communication serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to the managers who in-turn must communicate the plans to implement them.
The advantage of working in offices is the ability to have oversight of all business processes and monitor the effectiveness of individual contributions to the company objective. The distribution of work and the subsequent evaluation is not possible without written and oral communication.
There are several software programs that have been developed to incorporate the administration of work processes as well as enabling business staff to coordinate projects that are critical to maintaining core operations during this lockdown period.
