Shingirai Manyengavana

There is a popular proverbial phrase that says, ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade’ used to encourage optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune. This is the story of 26 years old Clemence Fordson, known as Mkwambo Fordie, a renowned DJ and Master of Ceremonies host based in Mutare.

He has taken a bold step into the world of podcasting with his venture, the Mkwambo Podcast. This exciting new platform aims to showcase and support local talent from Manicaland, providing another alternative voice for local creatives in the region.

A podcast is a digital medium consisting of audio (or video) episodes that relate to a specific theme. The hosts of a podcast are referred to as “podcasters.” While many forms of media have barriers to entry, a podcast is however simple to create.

Inspired by his passion for radio and TV, Mkwambo Fordie says he decided to take matters into his own hands after not finding employment opportunities in mainstream media houses or even the community radio’s in the province. Leveraging his six years experience as an MC and disc jockey, he says this brings a unique perspective to podcasting, tackling real-life issues that local creatives face.

‘’I have love for radio and TV, but after not getting any opportunity to be on radio l decided to launch my podcast to live my dream,’’ said Fordson.

Mkwambo Fordie the MC at work.

His podcast which was launched in January promises to cover a range of topics, including drug abuse awareness, mental health and business says Fordson.

‘’Obviously youths are abusing drugs so we want to promote awareness on stopping drug abuse as it is killing a lot of talents, mental health, business topics,’’ added Fordson

Mkwambo Fordie further explained what differentiates the Mkwambo Podcast from other podcasts.

‘’The Mkwambo Podcast is giving a platform to local voices to voice out their opinions on different societal issues. l will also be tackling the problems that local creatives are facing on their way up,’’ he said.

In the wake of high unemployment in Zimbabwe, the digital era is creating self-employment opportunities for youths like Mkwmbo Fordie that are content creators who post their works online. A lot of celebrity influencers are making money from their social media handles where they post content and get paid by online advertisers such as Google adverts or even some corporates. This adverts depend on the following that one has online.

The Mutare based MC hinted on how he intends to balance his career as an entertainer with his new podcasting endeavors. He admitted that though he has no journalism qualifications, he is just driven by passion to love the media sector.

‘’I am still finding it difficult due to the demands of the two, but l am in the process of getting my own podcasting equipment so that l will use the best of my free time to shoot many episodes of the podcast,’’ he said.

Mutare Afro-pop and Afro fusion artist Dongorere WekwaMarange also commended the importance of The Mkwambo Fordie Podcast for the Manicaland community’ especially for little known budding artistes hungry to make a name in the entertainment sector.

“The podcast will help in spreading Manicaland talents to the world. The good thing about this podcast is that Mkwambo Fordie knows almost all these local creatives, which is an added advantage. He understands the entertainment sector, so the flow of these interviews is so interesting,’’ said Dongorere WekwaMarange

The Mkwambo Fordie Podcast is made available across Mkwambo Fordie’s various social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube. He said his content is aimed at reaching a wider audience and helping to promote the diverse talents from Manicaland region.