PANELZ PACE Dialogue: Unlocking Zimbabwe’s Creative Economy

The PANELZ PACE Dialogue brought together government officials and creative industry leaders to reform policies, simplify registration, and formalise protections for Zimbabwe’s artists (image source)

HARARE — A landmark Policy Advocacy for Creative Empowerment (PACE) dialogue convened by the Performing Arts Network for Empowerment Leadership in Zimbabwe (PANELZ) on October 31, 2025, has been hailed as a major step toward strengthening Zimbabwe’s creative economy.

The high-level session, held at the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa and moderated by PANELZ Executive Chairperson Tafadzwa Muzondo, brought together over 25 delegates from government ministries, parastatals, and creative industry leaders. The focus was on improving the ease of doing business for cultural professionals and enhancing coordination across policy, finance, and education frameworks.

Formed in 2021, PANELZ unites performing arts leaders and associations to professionalise Zimbabwe’s arts sector through advocacy, training, and entrepreneurship. Its flagship PACE Project—an EU-funded initiative implemented with the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust under CreativeACTIONs 2—supports the National Cultural and Creative Industries Strategy (2020–2030) by promoting regulatory reform, market access, and equitable resource distribution across the creative industries.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Eugenia Chidhakwa, Chief Director in the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (MSRAC), called for a “whole-of-government” approach to cultural policy.

“The creative sector cannot thrive in isolation,” Dr. Chidhakwa said. “We need coordination across ministries—finance, education, labour, and culture—if we are to unlock the full potential of our artists and cultural entrepreneurs.”

Officials from ZIMRA, the Ministry of Labour, the Censorship Board, and the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) also participated, underscoring cross-sectoral commitment. The dialogue explored ways to simplify compliance and registration for arts organisations and formalise employment protections for creative workers. Proposals included establishing a National Employment Council (NEC) for the arts to provide social security, insurance, and legal safeguards.

Veteran musicians and educators such as Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana and Aggabu Nyabinde praised the session’s inclusivity and focus on structural reform. “It was wonderful to have a dialogue focused on building and finding solutions,” Katomeni-Mbofana said. Nyabinde added, “The Council welcomes this as a vital step toward integrating the creative industries into Zimbabwe’s economic development agenda.”

Key recommendations from the session included:

• Establishing a one-stop registration hub under NACZ.

• Harmonising licensing and compliance procedures.

• Creating ZIMRA-optimised tax templates for artists.

• Developing national market-access strategies.

The dialogue emphasised that a coordinated, multi-stakeholder framework is essential for Zimbabwe’s creative industries to meaningfully contribute to GDP, employment, and cultural diplomacy. As one participant noted, “This is the first time the arts have been discussed as an industry, not a hobby.”

Concluding the session, Tafadzwa Muzondo reaffirmed PANELZ’s commitment:

“PACE is not just a project—it’s a movement towards a professionalised, empowered, and globally competitive creative sector.”

The PACE dialogue represents a transformative moment for the creative economy, signalling a shift from fragmented policymaking to sustainable, inclusive governance. PANELZ has invited creatives, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to continue engaging with the process as the initiative moves into its next phase.

Contact: imbuwamubiana@gmail.com