Women are held to unnecessarily high standards of purity and virtue.
Words by Alex Gwaze (Curator) | facilitated by Alex Gwaze and Joanne Peters (Image Coach & Philanthropist)
For African women in the media, the spotlight can be as unforgiving as it is illuminating. Every choice, every gesture, every outfit, and even relationships can quickly become headline news. Yet some women navigate this precarious balance with flair, letting their personalities shine while keeping their personal lives — personal. Nyasha ‘Ms Diva’ Mtamangira and Sizwakele ‘Zwa’ Ndlovu are two such women: fearless, brilliant creatives, unapologetically themselves, noticeable and dependable.
Nyasha moves between worlds effortlessly: television producer, presenter, actress, head designer at the Diva Brand, and anchor of Good Morning Zimbabwe. Her shows — Up Close and Personal, the all-female Chit Chat Show, Couples Blitz — blend intimacy with entertainment, while her acting on Small House Saga proves she thrives both in front of and behind the camera. With a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Media Studies (ZOU), recognition as a Rising Star by the Institute of Public Relations and Communications Zimbabwe, and a spot in the Chronicle’s Top 100 Influential People in Bulawayo, Nyasha’s career is audacious yet precise, bold yet controlled.
Zwa, meanwhile, has spent decades shaping Zimbabwean television and live shows, turning ordinary moments into something memorable. Presenter, communications consultant, speaker, moderator, and voice-over artist, she rose through ZBC TV’s Teen Scene, ZITF Highlights, Friday Live at Amakhosi, Track & Travel, and CITE’s Breakfast Club. She’s commanded stages hosting the NAMAs and BAAs, balancing charm, authority, and wit. With a BA in Communication Science from UNISA, Zwa combines intellect with energy that transforms routine coverage into standout moments.
Between early mornings in studios, live shows, and birthday celebrations, these two friends open a rare window into their lives. They talk love, gatekeepers, triumphs and missteps in their media careers, the joys and exhaustion of motherhood, and the laughter and honesty that have sustained them along the way. Their conversation is filled with humour and the kind of candour that only comes from years of navigating the public eye. Through them, we celebrate resilience, friendship, and get a taste of the stories behind the cameras.
NYASHA: Hey sis!
ZWA: Baby ghel.
NYASHA: How’s our baby? The birthday girl. Not a baby anymore hey.
ZWA: Funny this should start today. It’s my daughter’s 21st birthday and I’m feeling all types of ways.
NYASHA: A whole 21. An adult. I looked at that picture you sent me this morning — the one of me interviewing her on my talk show when she was young. Then you said she’s 21 today, I was like, Lord, how old am I? Like, how long have I been doing TV?
ZWA: Yes. Gosh, I’ve been doing TV for 25 years.
NYASHA: You’ve done well with her.
ZWA: Thank you babes. It’s been a journey and a half. What’s your motherhood journey been like?
NYASHA: Amazing, but it requires a lot of patience and prepping. Attention to detail. Being organised, especially as a working mum with a lot of other things to do.
ZWA: Dude. There’s no preparation for any of it. You just roll with it!
NYASHA: I like being extra, you know me; so I find myself being extra even with my baby. Everything needs to be well put together.
ZWA: Balancing work, life, and mommyhood is something else. You’re meticulous about detail.
NYASHA: Well said, sis.
ZWA: (laughs)
NYASHA: You’re laughing at me.
ZWA: No! You’re not extra.
NYASHA: (laughs) Next question.
ZWA: (laughs) So I stand by the fact that I’m a shy person, by the way. But being on TV and on the internet kind of makes you a sort of celebrity — without the funds to match (laughs).
NYASHA: We can’t talk about the funds, but what I really frown on is that nowadays people want to know about your personal life than the work. I think a significant number of people can no longer just mind their business.
ZWA: That’s why I was saying I’m shy, you know. Most people don’t know my real relationship status, my marriages, divorces, etc — if I had any (laughs). So that has not been an issue at all.
NYASHA: I think I’m the same with you on that one. My relationships are private. I’ve never posted anyone or spoken about anyone. So status is unknown. One can only assume. People know I have a daughter, yes, but if you’re doing well and your daughter is well taken care of, people actually admire you.
ZWA: On this, I would like to state that people can only “consume” and be a part of what one shares. But taking on a media job has its challenges which need to be managed, and knowing from the onset what to share and not share can be hard.
NYASHA: I get you, but fortunately, we’ve never experienced that kind of noise from society. I mean, I didn’t. Not in that way where they want to get too far into my business, you know.
ZWA: Yes. I also believe social media goes hand in hand with self-love, boundaries, and give-and-take — concessions. It’s very similar to being in love.
NYASHA: Ummm, really. How can you describe your love life, Zwa?
ZWA: Aika zve (laughs).
NYASHA: (laughs)
ZWA: Errrm. Eish, let me grab a glass of wine for this.
NYASHA: Yes please, sip away ma’am.
ZWA: (laughs) Ahh you … my love life has consisted of what I thought was love, but in retrospect was a combination of being saved, being picked, puppy love, desperation, low self-esteem, gratitude — and of course, morbid curiosity and lust like all women. But there were times I thought it was love, and I do believe I have loved and been in love before.
NYASHA: Fair. Do you still believe in love?
ZWA: Yes, I do. Do you? Tell me about your experience.
NYASHA: Sis, you’re stealing my question. You must be original. You’ve been in media for decades (laughs).
ZWA: Ahhh, I’m facilitating what they call mutual response or sharing — what do they call it?
NYASHA: I know, I was just kidding. I’ve fallen in love once. The rest was not love. It was just getting into it for the sake of it, because I’m expected to be in a relationship. Maybe fear of being alone. But every time it was over, it would take me less than 24 hours to continue as if nothing happened.
ZWA: Ahhhh. Being expected to be in a relationship is a killer, isn’t it? The pressure. Like even now, people will ask, “What will you do for companionship?” Errrmmm… I have books, coffee, this wine, and social media. What more do I need? (laughs).
NYASHA: (laughs)
ZWA: Wait, I have my question — an original question. Why media? Why television?
NYASHA: That’s two questions. Two for one.
ZWA: My English is nice, ne?
NYASHA: (laughs) I stumbled into media. It wasn’t my intention. It’s not quite how I had planned. A “friend” thought I would make it in the media — they encouraged me and pointed me in that direction. And TV was because I was bored to death at Chronicle. I knew it wasn’t for me.
ZWA: You were in print media? Hayi bo. Please start from the top. Your whole journey. What you studied in school, first jobs, warra warra… EVERYTHING!
NYASHA: Eish, I wouldn’t know where to begin.
ZWA: From the top, follow instructions dude. Tichamira for how long, sisi.
NYASHA: (laughs) Eish okay. Yeah, I was at Chronicle. You’ll never believe what one of the senior people said to me at one point — journalism is not for me, I should try modelling. Imagine, at that time I was young, fresh out of college, telling myself I had studied Mass Communication and was trying to make it into the mainstream media.
ZWA: Aizve!
NYASHA: I think my print media self-esteem was also wounded because of that statement.
ZWA: Such violence!!!
NYASHA: He didn’t think I had what it takes. And the newsroom had 80% males those years.
ZWA: The things people say. Wait, it was a man, right? You can’t possibly be pretty and smart and capable, can you? Societal nonsense.
NYASHA: Yeah, you know. But anyway, after Chronicle, I went to ZBC — Pockets Hill, Harare — to seek employment. I decided to waltz in and ask for a job, and my confidence got me the job. Got a tiny job to do — packing tapes and taking them to the master control room. I tried to audition for TV while I was the tapes chick, but I wasn’t the producer’s favourite for personal reasons. That was a woman by the way, and she was just a hater.
ZWA: There’s always that one lady who wants to be the final girl in the movie. We should work together, eish.
NYASHA: Always. A lot of women block other women. But funny thing — months later, all the presenters didn’t show up, and my supervisor said, “Then you’ve got to do it yourself.” And I was in. Presenting was just… wow! Most people know me from that.
ZWA: A lot more would remember you for your talk show Up Close and Personal.
NYASHA: Like you and Teen Scene.
ZWA: I was so young! Did you ever do acting?
NYASHA: I did a bit of acting on Small House Saga. Radio news presentation too. I later returned to Bulawayo — I still think of it as a grave mistake. I should have stayed there; perhaps I would be further. But hey.
ZWA: Tjooooo, NYASHA. A journey and a half. But you’re forgetting something — we’re here, you’re now on Good Morning Zimbabwe!
NYASHA: Oh my! Exactly!
ZWA: And a very good morning it’s been from the time you joined.
NYASHA: Yes, since 2023. You know, I get that a lot — “a very good morning to you.”
ZWA: (laughs)
NYASHA: Sometimes thinking about the past makes you forget your blessings and how far you’ve come. We should learn from it and not dwell too much.
ZWA: Exactly!
NYASHA: And you, sis. It’s your turn. How did you get started in media? Teen Scene, Live at Amakhosi, corporate events, MCing — tell us.
ZWA: Ahhhhh, it’s my turn. Picture this … You want the full story?
NYASHA: Just the highlights. We don’t have enough wine.
ZWA: (laughs) Ibva! Don’t know if y’all are old enough to remember Golden Girls. That’s how far back we’re going. In high school, I used to tell people I’d be on TV one day — I think I told them CNN or something like that. Not sure if that was prophetic. So at the end of high school, I was at the launch of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project and I read a poem there. ZBC was there — Joachim Chauruka and gang — and they asked for my contact details, got in touch, and wanted me to present Teen Scene.
NYASHA: You’re a poet!
ZWA: My English is nice (laughs). So listen — Teen Scene led to ZITF Highlights, then Friday Live at Amakhosi, then various other shows, then eventually Track & Travel and Travel Bound. Then I took a break to have a baby. Went back after three or so years. Got into advertising, then marketing, corporate, and went into events coordination — and then Covid hit. After that, media full-time for a couple of years at CITE. Then MC work and events. Cut! Highlight reel ends here. See, I follow instructions.
NYASHA: (laughs) Wow, you’ve been busy. I love how you MC. You have such good energy. You’re great at it!
ZWA: Thank you. You know, looking back, I would not have “diversified” as much. I would have gone full-time into media and had qualifications around the field. I would not have treated it as a hobby.
NYASHA: You are also reflecting.
ZWA: I blame it on the al-al-alcohol! (laughs)
NYASHA: You know what, looking back reminds me — gatekeepers were such a thing. People who wouldn’t just let you into certain spaces for fear of competition and other reasons. So we had to work extra hard to put ourselves out there. I was different back then — very daring and bold. Bold colours. Some couldn’t accept that. They wanted me to conform to the norm, to fit in. But when I look back, that boldness, that loudness, is how people actually got to know me. That energy of daring to do and be yourself in these spaces. That’s what I see in you too, sis. We learn so much from you.
ZWA: Coming from you, maybe I should be relieved.
NYASHA: Relieved?
ZWA: You’re doing well. You’re on TV, your fashion label, the DIVA brand is pushing. And you’ve got a lovely daughter.
NYASHA: Daughters! I think you should be relieved that you’ve raised an amazing woman — 21 today. That’s all it’s about at the end of the day.
ZWA: Which reminds me, it’s my baby’s coming of age today and here I am going down memory lane with you guys. After this sip, I’ve got to go, guys.
NYASHA: You’re exiting just like that, no warning?
ZWA: You’ve always got to leave them wanting more, dude (laughs).
Follow Nyasha at @nyashamtamangira and Zwa at @sizwakelendlovu
MUD Journal 