Why Your Art Is Underpriced: Pricing Creative Work in Zimbabwe

Costing your Art

By Percy Nhara | Southerton Business Times

In last week’s column, "The Innovation Hub Harvest," we explored how you can utilize high-end university gear to move your production from "bedroom quality" to "global standards." We’ve covered the paperwork, the global digital passports, and the funding tricks.

But here is the million-ZiG question: Once you’ve used that fancy Innovation Hub camera or that grant-funded studio to create a masterpiece, how much do you charge for it?

If you are a sculptor in Harare, a wedding photographer in Gweru, or a ghostwriter in Mount Selinda, chances are you are accidentally subsidizing your clients. In the NDS2 era, "pricing by vibes" is the quickest way to stay broke. If we are to reach "Upper Middle-Income Status" by 2030, we have to start pricing like an industry, not a hobby.

The "Volunteer" Trap: Are You Actually Making Money?

Most Zimbabwean creatives price their work based on what they think the customer is willing to pay. This is a trap. If you sell a beat for $50, but you spent $20 on data, $10 on electricity (thanks, ZESA), and 10 hours of your life producing it, you’ve earned less than $2 an hour.

You aren't an entrepreneur; you are a volunteer with a very expensive hobby. To align with the Industrialization pillar of NDS2, we must move toward Cost-Plus Pricing.

The Formula:

(Hourly Rate × Time) + Materials + Overheads + Profit Margin = Your Price.

If you are a fine artist in Chipinge, don't just charge for the canvas. Charge for the years it took you to learn how to paint that well. Your "Hourly Rate" should reflect your expertise.

A professional creative pricing formula on a chalkboard showing Labor, Materials, Overhead, and Profit Margin

Value-Based Pricing: The Mbare vs. Borrowdale Factor

Under NDS2, the government is pushing for Value Addition. This means your price shouldn't just be about how hard you worked, but how much value you provided.

Think about it this way: A logo for a tuckshop in Mbare helps that shop look "okay." A logo for a corporate headquarters in Harare helps that company win million-dollar contracts. Even if both logos took you five hours to design, the value provided to the corporate client is higher. Therefore, the price must be higher.

Don't feel guilty about charging a "Premium" when your work meets the global standards we discussed in our ISRC and digital trade guide. High-quality work produced at an Innovation Hub deserves a high-quality price tag.

Overcoming the "Local Discount" Fever

We often hear the phrase, "Brother, help me out, things are tough." While community is important, NDS2 is about Commercial Viability.

When you underprice your work, you don't just hurt yourself; you hurt the entire creative ecosystem in Zimbabwe. You make it harder for the next artist in Mount Selinda to demand a fair wage because the client will say, "But the guy in Harare does it for half that price!"

Professionalism starts with a rate card. Having a formal price list (part of your formalized business structure) signals to the client that you are a serious practitioner, not a desperate amateur.

The Bottom Line: Your Time is a Finite Resource

The NDS2 roadmap isn't just about big government projects; it’s about you getting paid what you are worth. Whether you are carving stone, writing code, or filming documentaries, stop apologizing for your price.

If your art is good enough to be exported (which it is!), it is good enough to be priced competitively. Respect the craft, respect the costs, and for heaven's sake, respect your time.

Pricing for creative services