By Princess Eugene Majuru
When American YouTuber Darren Watkins Jr., better known as IShowSpeed, touched down in Zimbabwe as part of his Speed Does Africa tour, the moment was bigger than entertainment. It was symbolism in motion.
At the Mbuya Nehanda Statue in Harare, Speed was welcomed and entertained by two powerful cultural voices: “The Guitar Sangoma” Sylent Nqo and “The Princess of Mbira” Hope Masike—a meeting of global digital influence and deep African spirituality. From there, his journey continued to the Trabablas Interchange, where he encountered raw African strength in the form of Chidi Maenzanise, Africa’s strongest woman, who defeated Speed in a car-pulling challenge.
These scenes, widely shared across platforms within minutes, reached millions of viewers worldwide—many of whom had never before seen Zimbabwe outside stereotypical headlines. This is the power of content creation. No visa desk, no PR firm, no billboard—just a camera, connectivity, culture, and creativity.
Two years ago, I wrote an article urging responsible ministries to take content creation and digital innovation seriously as engines of employment and national branding. Today, that call is no longer aspirational. It is urgent.
Content Is the New Capital
Across the world—and especially among the youth—content creation has overtaken traditional employment pathways. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, podcasts, gaming, streaming, digital art, online education, and tech services have created millionaires, often from bedrooms and street corners rather than boardrooms.
What these creators need is not heavy machinery or foreign factories. They need:
Reliable internet access
Affordable data
Digital skills training
Policy protection and encouragement
In a world facing job shortages, Zimbabwe cannot afford to ignore an industry that is cheap to enter, scalable, exportable, and youth-driven.
Zimbabwe Is Sitting on Digital Gold
Zimbabwe has what the world is hungry for:
Authentic culture
Compelling stories
Talented youth
Music, sport, history, humour, resilience
What we lack is deliberate investment in ICT infrastructure and a national strategy that treats the internet as a basic utility, not a luxury.
If a visiting YouTuber can generate global attention in a single afternoon, imagine what thousands of Zimbabwean creators could do every day, if properly supported.
Free Internet Is Not Radical—It Is Strategic
I therefore repeat, and strengthen, my call:
Zimbabwe must move faster in investing in ICT and digital technology, including free or heavily subsidised internet access in cities and towns.
Free public Wi-Fi in:
Town centres
Universities and colleges
Libraries and community hubs
Innovation and arts spaces
is not charity. It is economic policy.
Countries that understand this are exporting ideas, not just minerals. They are monetising culture, not merely preserving it.
A Call to Responsible Ministries
This is a direct appeal to:
The Ministry of ICT
The Ministry of Youth
The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education
The Ministry of Information
Local authorities and city councils
Content creation is not “play”. It is work. It is employment. It is diplomacy. It is soft power.
Policies must:
Recognise creators as economic actors
Support digital training from an early age
Reduce data costs
Encourage partnerships with global platforms
Protect intellectual property
From Being Watched to Being Paid
Zimbabwean youth are already online. The question is whether they will remain consumers, or become producers and earners.
The visit by IShowSpeed should not end as a trending moment. It should be a wake-up call.
The world is watching.
The platforms are ready.
The talent is here.
All that remains is for Zimbabwe to move at the speed of the futu
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