‘Journey to professional photography is not easy’ Mr Tendai Dhliwayo

 Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]

He had worked in the insurance industry for close to a decade when he decided to pack his bags and try a completely different territory which he hoped was greener.

Mr Tendai Dhliwayo resigned from his insurance job to venture into photography.  In an interview, Mr Dhliwayo said he always enjoyed photography.

 “I even bought myself a simple camera that I was using when I was working for an insurance company. When I finally decided to leave my insurance job, I used my severance package to buy a better camera but I lacked the skills,” he said.

Mr Dhliwayo, who is not a trained photographer, now boasts of 50 corporate clients that also include schools around Bulawayo and has a staff complement of four permanent employees and occasionally has interns from well-established tertiary institutions such as the Bulawayo Polytechnic, National University of Science and Technology (Nust) as well as the Midlands State University (MSU).

Some of the building projects underway at National University of Science and Technology (Nust)

“This journey hasn’t been rosy for me. I was initially in the insurance industry but deep down I had this love for photography. When we started experiencing economic challenges which got worse in 2008, the company I worked for offered us retrenchment packages. 

“That was the beginning of my journey into photography. Since I did not have the required skills, I turned to the internet, starting with what is photography and later going through different training classes,” said Mr Dhliwayo.

 It took him five years to become a semi-skilled photographer and thereafter Mr Dhliwayo believes he became a brand, if not a giant in the industry.

 “In those five years, I was slowly getting into the market and because of my relationship with the corporate world as an insurance agent, I knew how to engage with executives. My brand grew and at one time I had six permanent employees. It has been a steady rise since then and now I can safely say we have plus or minus 50 clients who include corporate giants and schools,” said Mr Dhliwayo.

 Some of his big corporate clients include TelOne, Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), African Distillers (AFDIS) among others. He is also the go to guy for a number of schools in the City.

 Like any good quality product, Mr Dhliwayo’s services do not come cheap, with the minimum fee pegged at US$650 for weddings.

 “I can do around 10 weddings or more in a year, which is not bad and most of my wedding clients are referrals which give us confidence and satisfaction that what we’re doing is being appreciated,” he said.

Despite the success stories, Mr Dhliwayo said the photography industry is divided with a lot of backbiting as a result of territorial wars.

“The industry is dicey as a result of street photographers and this is not to say I’m looking down upon my fellow comrades but there is too much bullying of new players,” he said.

Mr Dhliwayo said another challenge was uncooperative clients, especially on weddings and such clients were a problem when it comes to paying for the services.

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