Zimbabwe’s Creative Industry Embraces Multi-Talented Artists as Tino Mananga Redefines Music and Visual Storytelling
Zimbabwe’s creative industry continues to evolve as more artists move beyond single labels and explore multiple disciplines at once. This shift reflects a growing culture of flexibility, where musicians, photographers and visual storytellers blend skills to build wider creative careers. One of the clearest examples of this trend is saxophonist and photographer Tino Mananga, whose work spans live performance and visual documentation. His career shows how modern creatives are no longer confined to one identity or one path. Instead, they build layered artistic profiles that respond to opportunity, training and personal vision. Mananga’s journey highlights how Zimbabwe’s creative space is expanding into a more dynamic and hybrid ecosystem.
Mananga’s foundation in music began in church, where mentorship played a central role in shaping his direction. He developed his early musical understanding within the Celebration Church environment, where guidance from Pastor Bonnie Deuschle and saxophonist Tatenda Mutuwa helped shape his transition into instrumental performance. Before he ever played the saxophone, rhythm defined his creative expression through drumming during childhood. That early exposure to percussion helped him build timing, control and musical sensitivity that later influenced his saxophone style. His transition into the saxophone came during the COVID-19 period when the church needed to strengthen its brass section. He credits this moment as the turning point that pushed him into a new phase of his artistic development.
His entry into the saxophone was not random but guided by mentorship and structured learning. Pastor Bonnie Deuschle identified the need for more saxophonists and encouraged expansion in that area. Tatenda Mutuwa, already an established saxophonist, played a direct role in training and mentoring him during his early stages. This hands-on guidance allowed Mananga to build practical skills quickly while remaining grounded in a supportive creative environment. As restrictions eased, he formalised his training at Music Crossroads Academy, where he refined his technique and expanded his musical understanding. This combination of mentorship and formal education gave him a balanced foundation that continues to shape his sound today.
While music formed the base of his creative identity, photography developed alongside it and eventually became a second professional path. His interest in visual storytelling began in high school, where he first explored painting before shifting into photography. That early interest in visual art helped him understand composition, framing and emotional storytelling through images. Over time, photography became more than a hobby as he started capturing events he attended as a musician. He would voluntarily document concerts, share images with fellow creatives and gradually build a portfolio through real-world experience. This organic progression allowed him to enter the photography industry without formal barriers, relying instead on access, consistency and creative curiosity.
A defining feature of Mananga’s career is his ability to work simultaneously as a saxophonist and photographer. This dual role is rare in Zimbabwe’s creative scene, where most artists focus on a single discipline. He manages this balance through structure and teamwork under his agency, Simply Art Creative Agency. The agency model allows him to scale his creative output while maintaining artistic control and consistency. In many cases, he performs live on stage while his team handles photography coverage. At key moments, he still picks up the camera himself, moving between roles with precision and intent. This system reflects a modern creative approach where collaboration supports individual versatility.
Musically, Mananga continues to grow his sound, drawing influence from jazz and R&B traditions. His inspirations include Moses Kumalo, Thelonious Monk and Cannonball Adderley, alongside vocal and performance influences such as Tandozide and Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana. These influences shape his phrasing, improvisation style and emotional expression on the saxophone. He describes his musical journey as ongoing, with continuous learning shaping his development. This mindset reflects a broader trend among contemporary musicians who see their craft as an evolving process rather than a fixed identity. His approach allows him to remain open to experimentation while staying grounded in established musical traditions.
In photography, Mananga’s work covers a wide range of genres including concerts, portraits, food photography and real estate. His entry point into photography came through concerts, where access and familiarity made it easier to build experience. From there, he expanded into portrait work, capturing individuals in more controlled and expressive settings. Food photography followed, driven by personal interest and creative exploration, while real estate photography became part of his growing commercial portfolio. As his agency expanded, client-based work in food and property photography became more consistent. Portrait photography shifted into a more selective practice based on referrals and specific creative projects.
His portfolio includes notable assignments that reflect both cultural and institutional significance. He has worked on events such as Leg of Men by Ellard and Sharon Cherayi, as well as a farewell dinner for former Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry. He has also documented European Union National Day celebrations, showing his ability to operate in formal and high-profile environments. On the performance side, one of his standout experiences includes playing saxophone at a wedding at Wild Geese Lodge, along with several other live appearances. These experiences highlight his ability to navigate both artistic performance and professional visual documentation at a high level. Each assignment adds depth to his growing reputation within Zimbabwe’s creative industry.
Despite his growing list of achievements, Mananga remains reflective about the emotional impact of his work. One photograph he captured in Hatcliffe, showing a young man resting at the back of a truck, remains particularly memorable to him even though the image is now lost. He describes the moment as deeply affecting, shaped by the raw exhaustion captured in the scene. This experience reflects the emotional weight that often comes with documentary photography. It also shows how visual storytelling can leave lasting impressions on both the subject and the creator. For Mananga, such moments reinforce the importance of observation and empathy in his work.
Mananga is developing an instrumental project focused on calm, reflective listening experiences. The project is designed to offer music that supports relaxation and mental peace for listeners. It marks another step in his ongoing evolution as a musician who is still refining his artistic identity. At the same time, his creative agency continues to expand its footprint across different visual and performance sectors. His ability to move between sound and image positions him as part of a new generation of Zimbabwean creatives who refuse to be defined by a single discipline. Through discipline, adaptability and consistent growth, he continues to shape a career that reflects the changing nature of the country’s creative landscape.
