Zimbabwe Innovation Hubs: How Creatives Can Access University Tech

MSU INNOVATION HUB

By Percy Nhara | Southerton Business Times

In our previous session, How to Write a Winning Grant Proposal, we explored how creatives can unlock funding to fuel their ideas. But a tougher question often follows: what happens when the grant (or the dream) arrives, but the tools are out of reach?

For a filmmaker in Harare or an animator in Gweru, the reality is brutal. A cinema-grade camera, professional sound studio, or high-end rendering computer can cost more than a small family car. For years, this “equipment wall” has quietly limited Zimbabwean talent, forcing creators to compromise on quality or abandon projects altogether.

Under National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and the Education 5.0 policy, however, a powerful solution has been hiding in plain sight: University Innovation Hubs. Across Zimbabwe, universities are now home to some of the most advanced creative and industrial technologies in Southern Africa. Crucially, these facilities are not reserved for students only. They are part of a national push to commercialise ideas, support industry, and grow jobs.

Mapping Zimbabwe’s Innovation Hubs for Creatives

Universities are no longer just academic spaces; they are evolving into production engines. Here is where creatives can plug in:

• Midlands State University – Gweru: A stronghold for film, music, and audio production. The industrial hub hosts professional recording studios and post-production suites suitable for documentaries, albums, and broadcast-ready content.

• University of Zimbabwe – Harare: Known for advanced media, GIS, and digital design laboratories. Ideal for creatives working with data-driven storytelling, digital publishing, or complex visualisation.

• Chinhoyi University of Technology – Chinhoyi: A hotspot for 3D printing, fashion technology, and product design. Designers can transform sketches into physical prototypes within hours instead of months.

• National University of Science and Technology – Bulawayo: Leading in virtual reality (VR), software, and app development. A strategic space for creatives exploring immersive storytelling, gaming, or the emerging metaverse economy.

How to Access the Technology (Even If You’re Not a Student)

A common myth is that university hubs are “off limits” to outsiders. Under NDS2, the opposite is true. These hubs are mandated to build industry–academia partnerships.

Here’s how creatives can engage effectively:

1. Get Formalised. Universities prefer dealing with registered entities. A Private Business Corporation (PBC), trust, or company signals seriousness and reduces administrative friction.

2. Pitch a Specific Project. Don’t ask to “use equipment.” Present a clear proposal: “I am producing a heritage documentary aligned with national cultural objectives and would like to partner with your hub for editing and sound design.”

3. Clarify Intellectual Property (IP). Always confirm ownership of the final work. Most hubs allow creators to retain IP, provided there is a subsidised user fee, revenue-share model, or institutional credit.

Why This Matters for Zimbabwean Creatives

The shift from theory to production is at the heart of Education 5.0. Innovation hubs exist to commercialise creativity, reduce startup costs, and connect talent to markets. For artists, this means access to tools that meet global standards without incurring crippling debt.

The “starving artist” narrative is increasingly outdated. The resources are there from Harare’s campus labs to Chinhoyi’s fabrication rooms. What’s missing is awareness and confidence to engage these institutions as partners, not gatekeepers.

The Bottom Line

Stop saving endlessly for gear you may never afford. Start partnering strategically with innovation hubs that already have it. Zimbabwe’s creative economy will not be built from bedrooms alone, but from collaborations that turn ideas into export-ready products.

The tools are waiting. The hubs are open. The only question left is whether you will knock.

Zimbabwe innovation hubs; university technology Zimbabwe; NDS2 creative economy; Education 5.0 innovation hubs