TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA
The Certified Artist Manager Program (CAMP) has emerged as a welcome initiative in Zimbabwe’s creative economy, becoming the first programme of its kind to equip aspiring music managers – as well as artists – with the skills needed to flourish in Zimbabwe and across Africa. Developed through a partnership between renowned talent manager Diana Nheera and the International Coaching & Mentoring Foundation (ICMF), CAMP recently completed its first cohort of students, who received their professional certification from ICMF during a ceremony held on 22 November 2025.
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| Kim Makumbe with her mother at the certification ceremony. |
Nheera, an ICMF alumna and certified life coach, served as the key facilitator and developer of the programme. The three-month training took students through 12 modules that comprehensively covered the intricacies of professional artist management.
CAMP was created from the recognition that, while Zimbabwe has an abundance of creative talent, many artists fail to reach their full potential due to the absence of structured, professional management and limited access to information.
The inaugural cohort consisted of three students. The programme is designed for new entrants to the industry who aspire to become professionals, combining practical experience, academic insight, and a continental context.
The modules include: Foundations of Artist Management; The Artist-Manager Relationship; Legal and Contractual Frameworks; Strategic Artist Development; Music and Entertainment Business Essentials; Marketing, PR and Social Media Strategy; Event, Tour and Performance Management; Financial and Business Management; Industry Relationships and Networking; Technology and Tools for Managers; Health, Wellness and Artist Longevity; and the Capstone Project and Certification Assessment.
Against this backdrop, CAMP stands as a transformative initiative that uplifts artists, strengthens cultural industries, and promotes professionalism in the business of artist management. Its purpose is to ensure creatives are represented, guided, and developed with excellence. The bigger picture lies in building a stronger creative economy through sustainable careers, export-ready talent, and structured business practices.
Often, artists operate without systems in place, creating arbitrary practices that can derail their artistic progress. CAMP seeks to remedy this. It exists so that no manager walks blindly, and no artist suffers from a lack of informed leadership.
One of the participants, Kim Makumbe, said this was “one of the best decisions” she has made in her career as an artist and music business executive.
“The course outline is detailed and relevant to the unique Zimbabwean music industry scene. One of the challenges in the music industry is lack of trained support service staff around artist brands and incompetence of the few willing to take up the task; and this program is well-structured to help bridge the knowledge gap when it comes to professional artist management, aligning perfectly with the National Music Strategy’s fourth strategic pillar of education, capacity building and training,” she remarked.
The creative economy remains one of Africa’s greatest untapped resources, yet the lack of structures and professionalism in artist management continues to stifle its growth. Without leadership, systems, and knowledge, talent often falls through the cracks. This is what the Certified Artist Manager Program seeks to redress.
CAMP is Zimbabwean innovation with continental relevance; an opportunity for stakeholders to support a movement that ensures our stories, our music, and our art are managed with excellence and carried to global stages.
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