Abigail Mwembe Takes Zimbabwean Gospel Across Borders With New Collaboration The Reason

Award-winning Zimbabwean gospel artiste and worship minister Abigail Mwembe is expanding her musical ministry beyond Zimbabwe with the release of The Reason, a cross-border collaboration with Democratic Republic of Congo gospel singer, worship leader and pastor Thotho Kabeya. The song brings together two experienced gospel ministers from different African musical backgrounds and reflects the growing connections within the continent’s gospel music community. Their partnership began with a chance meeting at a worship gathering in South Africa before developing into a formal recording project. For Mwembe, the collaboration represents more than a new song because it gives her another opportunity to use music, worship and language to reach audiences beyond her home country. The Reason also adds another international chapter to a career that has already earned her recognition within Zimbabwe’s gospel music industry.

The collaboration can be traced back to the Beyond the Experience Worship Encounter, an annual worship event held at Hellenic Hall in South Africa. The event was hosted by Pastor George Uwha of Rehoboth Ministries International and brought together gospel ministers for a programme focused on worship and spiritual ministry. Mwembe said she and Kabeya first encountered each other backstage after they had both ministered during the event. She had taken to the stage before Kabeya, who later approached her and suggested that they should consider working together. What started as a brief meeting eventually developed into a musical partnership that resulted in The Reason.

Mwembe recalled that their first interaction happened shortly after she had completed her ministry at the worship encounter. According to the gospel artiste, Kabeya later sought her out backstage and raised the possibility of recording a collaboration. The suggestion created an opportunity for the two ministers to combine their different musical experiences and approaches to gospel ministry. Mwembe subsequently travelled to South Africa to record the song, turning the initial conversation into a completed musical project. The process demonstrates how gospel music collaborations can emerge through worship gatherings, where artistes and ministers have opportunities to establish relationships outside their usual musical circles.

For Mwembe, working with Kabeya was also influenced by her appreciation of his music and ministry. She has expressed an interest in singing in different languages and sees multilingual music as an effective way of communicating the gospel to diverse audiences. That interest makes a collaboration with a DRC-based gospel minister particularly significant because it introduces another cultural and musical dimension to her work. The Reason therefore gives Mwembe an opportunity to expand her artistic range while remaining connected to her central focus on gospel ministry. It also reflects the increasingly cross-border nature of African gospel music, where artistes from different countries can work together despite differences in language, culture and musical traditions.

Multilingual ministry has already played an important role in Mwembe’s musical identity. As a member of Harvest House Music, she ministers through Tonga, isiNdebele and Shona, allowing her music to connect with audiences across different linguistic communities. Her ability to work across languages has become an important part of her expression as a gospel artiste and worship minister. The Reason provides another platform for her to build on that versatility while exploring new creative relationships outside Zimbabwe. Her interest in different languages also points to a broader ambition to use music as a means of reaching people who may not share the same first language but connect through faith and worship.

Mwembe has established a strong reputation through her work in Zimbabwe’s gospel music scene. Her single Ajane won Best Gospel Song at the inaugural Skyz Metro FM Music Awards in 2017, giving her an important milestone in her career. She has also received a nomination at the SAGRA Awards, further reflecting the recognition her work has received within the local music industry. Her involvement with Harvest Music has added another dimension to her musical journey, including her contribution to the song Ndinoshamiswa. These achievements have helped establish Mwembe as an artiste capable of combining worship ministry with a diverse musical approach.

Kabeya brings extensive experience of his own to the collaboration. The DRC-based minister has spent more than three decades involved in gospel music, worship and pastoral ministry. In addition to his work as a gospel singer and worship leader, he serves as a pastor and founded Miracle City Church. His background gives The Reason a partnership between two ministers who have built their careers around both music and Christian ministry. Bringing their respective experiences together creates an opportunity for the song to appeal to listeners interested in African gospel music while also strengthening professional and ministry links between Zimbabwe and the DRC.

The plans surrounding The Reason extend beyond the recording itself. Mwembe said she and Kabeya hope to produce a music video for the song in Zimbabwe, which would give the collaboration a visual component and provide another opportunity to showcase the project. They are also considering the possibility of another collaboration as their musical relationship develops. Mwembe has expressed particular interest in properly exploring and leading with Tonga music, an ambition that could open another creative direction within her future work. Such projects could help her continue building a distinct musical identity while introducing different African audiences to the languages and sounds that form part of her ministry.

The potential music video in Zimbabwe could also strengthen the connection between the two artistes and the countries represented in their collaboration. Recording the song in South Africa already reflects the cross-border nature of the project, while a video produced in Zimbabwe would bring another part of the partnership into Mwembe’s home musical environment. This approach could help create a visual narrative around The Reason that complements its message and highlights the cultural backgrounds of the two ministers. It could also create further opportunities for the artistes to promote the song across different African gospel platforms. For Mwembe, the project is therefore not simply about releasing a single but about developing relationships that could lead to future music and ministry opportunities.

The Reason arrives at an important stage in Mwembe’s career as she continues to build on her achievements in Zimbabwe while reaching for a wider African audience. Her experience, multilingual abilities and involvement in gospel ministry provide a strong foundation for international collaborations. Working with Kabeya demonstrates how relationships formed through worship events can develop into meaningful creative projects with the potential to reach listeners across borders. The planned music video and possibility of another collaboration suggest that this partnership may become the beginning of a longer musical relationship. As African gospel music continues to connect artistes and audiences across countries, Abigail Mwembe is positioning herself to play a growing role in that movement while remaining rooted in her calling as a worship minister.