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Millicent Andile Dube

NEVER in the history of Zimbabwe has anyone had the slightest idea to fill up Barbourfields Stadium with a business theme. Soccer has had people packing the stadium with a capacity of 25 000-plus people and Nkosana Mazibisa wants to dare to be different as he feels it is possible to fill up the stadium with his Hustlers Summit. 

 He has shared plans to host the next Hustlers 3.0 Summit at the stadium next year in March.

Mazibisa, an entrepreneur and the brains behind the Hustler’s Summit describes himself as a successful failure. The man with sleepy eyes but a busy mind, has proved to be an entrepreneur that will not rest until he accomplishes his goal to help youngsters to realise their full potential.

Nkosana Mazibisa

“My true calling is being an entrepreneur and I’ll never give myself a break. I’ve already started implementing strategies that will see my dream of filling up the stadium become a success. Everything looks impossible but once you stomp on the negatives and start, it becomes smooth,” he said.

The goal-getter, together with his team that comprises 11 members with the youngest being 18 years old, has successfully hosted two editions of the summit. The first edition saw Mazibisa giving SMEs in the city a much-needed boost through an event that featured the multi-talented artiste and businessman, DJ Sbu from South Africa. The second edition which was held in March this year featured international and local juggernauts. Among them were Dumisani Lingamangali Ncube from Zambia, Xolani Nyali from South Africa, Mcolisi Stan Maphosa from the Kingdom of Eswatini, American’s Whit Mitchell, Jalene Case and Francis Eberle.

Mazibisa said he has been giving himself time to visit the stadium to emotionally, mentally and physically prepare himself for the journey he has embarked on to make his next summit record breaker.

“I’ve never witnessed someone filling the stadium based on a business theme hence I’m driven to give a different outcome from the rest of the people. This will also add to the number of things that distinguish me from the rest of the crowd. 

“I cannot think in the same process as everyone when I want a different outcome. So spending some time walking through the stadium, allows me to visualise the greatness that I’m working on day and night,” he said.

According to Mazibisa, the idea of the Hustler’s Summit was necessitated by the hunger to harness the potential of the city’s youths and to restore its position as the country’s industrial hub.

“I intend to fill up this stadium because I need everyone else to be part of the experience. I don’t want to grow alone, but I want to share the little that I’ve acquired to inspire the next person. I didn’t start from the top but I copied someone who inspired me and entrusted me to become better. 

“The future of the nation lies in the hands of the youths hence I’m engaging them on programmes that seek the betterment of them and the stability of the economy,” Mazibisa said. 

He said the hope is to continuously engage with the youth creatives and individuals in their different spaces so that they share knowledge on how to boost Bulawayo’s economy.

Nkosana Mazibisa

“The majority of Zimbabwe is in the informal sector focused on getting just a dollar for their next meal and transport. They are as a result not growing and their families are struggling. Therefore, the creation of this platform is to reach out to them and share ideas on how they can develop themselves and get to invest in themselves,” said Mazibisa.

He also said youths have to do away with the culture of complaining that there are no jobs but should instead venture into economic activities such as farming. 

“They have to create jobs for themselves, find interest in a certain craft and begin to work on it.” — @millieythandil