Usher Nyambi Takes Zimbabwe’s Creative Economy Conversation to Kigali at ACEIF 2026

Zimbabwean creative entrepreneur, cultural consultant, editor and international speaker Usher Nyambi has taken the country’s creative economy conversation to Kigali, Rwanda, where he joined leading practitioners, entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors and cultural leaders at the 2026 Africa Creative Economy & Investment Forum. His participation placed Zimbabwean creativity, culture and entrepreneurial potential within a wider continental discussion about the future of Africa’s cultural and creative industries. The forum brought together stakeholders from across Africa and the global creative ecosystem to explore collaboration, investment, innovation and sustainable growth. For Nyambi, the gathering provided an important platform to discuss how culture can contribute to economic development while creating opportunities for African creatives and young people. His involvement also reinforces his growing profile as one of Zimbabwe’s emerging voices in conversations about the continent’s creative economy.

Hosted by the Pan-African initiative Africa in Colours, ACEIF 2026 ran from August 23 to 30 and featured a broad programme designed to connect different parts of the creative economy. The event included masterclasses, creation labs, professional engagements, policy conversations, panel discussions, networking sessions, exhibitions, tours, business-to-business meetings and deal rooms. Bringing these activities together created opportunities for participants to move beyond discussions and explore practical partnerships and investment possibilities. The forum recognised that Africa’s creative industries require strong relationships between artists, businesses, policymakers, investors and institutions to achieve sustainable growth. Its multidisciplinary approach also reflected the increasingly important role that creativity plays in economic development across the continent.

A central theme of this year’s forum was the concept of cities of the future and the role culture and creativity can play in making African cities more innovative, liveable and economically vibrant. African cities are increasingly competing to attract creative talent, tourists, investors, cultural events and international audiences. This competition has made cultural identity an important component of how cities position themselves locally and globally. Creative industries can contribute to this process through music, fashion, film, literature, design, art, media, entertainment and cultural tourism. For Nyambi, the conversation was particularly relevant because Zimbabwean cities also have the potential to use their cultural assets as part of broader economic and development strategies.

Nyambi believes culture should no longer be viewed simply through the lens of entertainment because it can serve as a strategic economic resource. Creative industries can generate employment, support entrepreneurs, attract investment, strengthen national and city identities and create opportunities for young people. Africa already has a large pool of creative talent producing music, films, fashion, literature, visual art, digital content and other forms of cultural expression. The challenge is to develop the infrastructure, financing systems, markets and partnerships needed to turn that creative activity into sustainable economic value. Nyambi’s message at ACEIF reflected the need to build systems that allow African creativity to grow beyond individual projects and become part of stronger economic ecosystems.

“Africa’s creative economy is one of the most powerful tools we have to tell our own stories, create opportunities for young people and position our cities on the global stage. Our culture is already generating value; the next step is building the infrastructure, investment and partnerships that allow that value to grow sustainably,” said Nyambi. His comments reflect the broader objectives of ACEIF, which seeks to demonstrate the contribution of culture and creative industries to Africa’s social and economic development. The forum also aims to create environments where conversations can develop into meaningful partnerships and investment opportunities. By bringing different stakeholders into the same space, the event creates opportunities to identify gaps and consider practical solutions for the creative sector.

For Zimbabwe, Nyambi’s participation brings renewed attention to the need for local creative practitioners to establish stronger connections with regional and international markets. Zimbabwe has a long history of producing musicians, filmmakers, writers, designers, visual artists, performers and other creative professionals. However, talent alone cannot guarantee sustainable careers when creatives face challenges involving finance, infrastructure, distribution, professional networks and access to larger markets. Stronger regional relationships can help practitioners gain exposure, find collaborators and develop commercial opportunities outside Zimbabwe. Platforms such as ACEIF therefore provide an important space for Zimbabwean representatives to engage directly with people shaping the wider African creative economy.

Through his agency, Nyambi works at the intersection of culture, media and communications, helping connect African talent, institutions and stories with audiences and markets across the continent. His professional portfolio covers journalism, cultural communications, creative entrepreneurship and international development. This multidisciplinary experience gives him an understanding of both the creative and commercial sides of the sector. It also allows him to approach cultural development from different perspectives, including media, communications, business and international engagement. His work demonstrates how professionals operating between different parts of the creative ecosystem can help establish connections between talent, institutions and markets.

Nyambi previously served as Southern African Editor of Rolling Stone Africa, adding significant media experience to his wider professional background. His journalism and cultural work has appeared on platforms including GQ, Glamour South Africa, Trace, BBC 1Xtra, OkayAfrica, Men’s Health and Hypebeast Africa. His involvement with established international and African media platforms has given him exposure to different audiences and creative markets. He has also attended and covered major cultural and sporting events across the continent. These experiences have contributed to his understanding of how African creative talent can be positioned for audiences beyond national borders.

His professional experience has taken him to major cultural and sporting events, including the Trace Awards, South African Fashion Week and the NBA Basketball Africa League Finals. Such platforms bring together entertainment, sport, fashion, media, business and international audiences, creating opportunities for cross-sector collaboration. For someone working across culture and communications, participation in these events provides valuable insight into how large-scale creative ecosystems operate. It also exposes African creatives and institutions to networks that can lead to future partnerships. Nyambi’s involvement in these spaces has contributed to a career increasingly focused on connecting creative industries with broader professional and economic opportunities.

Beyond journalism and communications, Nyambi has developed a reputation as a contributor to conversations about Africa’s creative industries. He has participated in platforms such as Mozambique Fashion Week, Africa Live Entertainment Conference, Entertainment Week Africa, ACCES, Africa Rising Music Conference and Zimbabwe Fashion Week. He has also taken part in the Harare International Literature Festival, Music Imbizo and engagements at the University of the Witwatersrand. These speaking and professional engagements have allowed him to share perspectives on the development of African creative industries with audiences across different sectors. His participation at ACEIF therefore represents another stage in an increasingly continental career spanning journalism, cultural consultancy, entrepreneurship and international engagement.

Nyambi said Zimbabwe possesses a strong cultural identity and considerable creative talent, but stressed the importance of creating pathways that allow local practitioners to access wider markets. “Zimbabwe has an incredible creative identity and an abundance of talent. We need to continue creating pathways for that talent to access regional and international markets while positioning our cities as destinations for culture, creativity and investment,” he said. His comments highlight the difference between having creative talent and having an ecosystem capable of supporting that talent over the long term. For Zimbabwean creatives, access to markets, professional networks, investment and international platforms can determine whether an artistic project remains local or reaches a broader audience. Building those pathways can therefore play an important role in strengthening the country’s creative economy.

“Forums like ACEIF are important because they create the room for those conversations and, more importantly, for partnerships to emerge from them,” Nyambi added. The statement captures one of the key reasons continental creative economy forums have become increasingly relevant. Creative professionals often need access to people and institutions outside their immediate sectors to develop sustainable projects. A musician may need investors, a fashion designer may need international buyers, a filmmaker may need distribution partners and a cultural organisation may need institutional support. Creating spaces where these different groups can meet can help turn individual creative ideas into viable commercial and cultural ventures.

One of the major challenges facing Zimbabwe’s creative economy is the transition from producing talent and cultural content to developing stronger commercial ecosystems. The country has creative practitioners with significant experience and distinctive cultural perspectives, but they can still face barriers to finance, infrastructure, markets and professional networks. These challenges can limit the ability of creatives to scale their businesses and reach audiences outside the country. Developing stronger industry structures could help address issues such as distribution, intellectual property, investment, skills development and access to technology. The conversations taking place at platforms such as ACEIF provide opportunities to examine these challenges alongside people working on similar issues in other African markets.

Regional creative economy platforms can also help Zimbabwean practitioners learn from different approaches to cultural development. African countries are experimenting with creative hubs, cultural districts, digital platforms, investment programmes, festivals and city-based creative initiatives. Connecting Zimbabwean professionals with these models can create opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration. It can also encourage the development of solutions suited to local conditions while drawing from experiences elsewhere on the continent. Nyambi’s participation in Kigali demonstrates the value of having Zimbabwean voices present when these ideas are being discussed.

Nyambi’s public relations and communications work has similarly sought to build connections between Zimbabwe and the wider African creative economy. His agency has worked with artists, corporates and diplomatic institutions, including the United States Embassy in Zimbabwe and the British Council. These engagements place culture and communications at the centre of cross-border relationships and demonstrate how creative industries can contribute to international engagement. Cultural communication can help institutions understand local communities while giving artists opportunities to reach audiences and partners in different markets. His work in this area adds another dimension to his participation at a forum focused on strengthening connections across Africa’s creative ecosystem.

The Africa in Colours initiative, headquartered in Kigali and founded by Raoul Rugamba, was established with the goal of rethinking and strengthening Africa’s culture and creative industry ecosystem. Its work focuses on sustainable jobs and revenues, infrastructure, technology, collaboration and access to finance. These priorities reflect a growing recognition that creative industries require more than artistic ability to become sustainable economic sectors. Creatives also need business support, appropriate infrastructure, technology, investment and access to markets. ACEIF was created as an annual gathering to bring together stakeholders who are committed to addressing these issues and building stronger creative ecosystems across Africa.

By bringing creatives together with investors, policymakers, institutions, media professionals and entrepreneurs, ACEIF seeks to reduce some of the gaps between creativity and capital. These relationships can be important for projects that require funding, distribution, technology or institutional support to grow. Business-to-business meetings and deal rooms can also create opportunities for participants to move from networking towards specific commercial discussions. The combination of policy conversations and practical engagements gives the forum a broader role in shaping the future of Africa’s creative economy. For Zimbabwean participants, involvement in such spaces can help ensure that the country’s creative interests remain part of continental discussions.

The focus on creative cities is particularly relevant as urban centres across Africa seek new ways to distinguish themselves and support economic development. Culture can help cities attract tourists, host international events, build stronger identities and create employment opportunities for young people. Cities with vibrant music, fashion, arts, food, literature and entertainment sectors can develop reputations that attract both visitors and investment. However, this requires deliberate planning, infrastructure and support for the people producing cultural content. Nyambi’s contribution to the ACEIF conversation placed Zimbabwe within this wider discussion about how cities can use creativity as part of their economic and social development strategies.

Nyambi’s career reflects the intersection of media, culture, communications and international engagement that is increasingly shaping Africa’s creative economy. As an International Relations graduate from Africa University, he has developed a professional footprint spanning Africa, Europe and America. His work across African and international media platforms has connected him with diverse creative communities and professional networks. His involvement in the Recording Academy and Forbes BLK further reflects his engagement with broader global creative and professional networks. This experience provides him with a useful perspective on the opportunities available to African creatives and the barriers that can prevent local talent from reaching international markets.

For Zimbabwe, the importance of this conversation extends beyond individual artists and creative businesses. A stronger creative economy can contribute to employment, entrepreneurship, tourism, city development and international cultural visibility. It can also provide young people with opportunities to build careers in areas that include music, film, fashion, design, publishing, digital media, advertising and cultural management. However, those opportunities depend on creating systems that support creatives throughout the different stages of developing and commercialising their work. Nyambi’s participation at ACEIF reinforces the need for Zimbabwe to approach the creative economy as an important part of wider economic development rather than treating culture solely as entertainment.

As Africa’s creative economy continues to evolve, voices such as Usher Nyambi’s can help connect local realities with broader continental ambitions. His participation in Kigali placed Zimbabwean creative talent, cultural identity and cities within conversations about investment, infrastructure, innovation and sustainable growth. It also highlighted the importance of building stronger bridges between Zimbabwean practitioners and regional and international markets. Zimbabwe has stories, talent and cultural capital, but unlocking their full economic value requires investment, partnerships, professional networks and supportive infrastructure. Nyambi’s appearance at ACEIF 2026 therefore represents more than a professional engagement, it is part of a wider push to ensure Zimbabwe participates actively in shaping the future of Africa’s creative economy.