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Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent
A ZIMBABWE-born, Canada-based media personality, Zanele Ndlovu will today launch an online show titled Humans of Zimbabwe which seeks to celebrate Zimbabweans that are doing well locally and abroad.

The first show will premiere at 8AM today on the show’s Instagram page where four locals from Bulawayo, Siphathokuhle Nozithelo Ncube and Michele Thanya Moyo (Oma Ice cream), Dr Mabhena Mpofu (Professor at NUST) and Mrs Sifiso Moyo (qualified nurse no longer practising) will be interviewed.

Speaking from her base in Canada, Ndlovu who grew up in the dusty streets of Barbourfields suburb in Bulawayo, said the show seeks to bring out the positive side of Zimbabweans.

“Humans of Zimbabwe is an online catalogue which profiles the country’s people, be it those locally based or abroad. The idea behind the initiative is to highlight the positives of the people of Zimbabwe and show the world that we’re hardworking, resilient and a happy people.

“Since I’m not on the ground (Zimbabwe), I’ll be interviewing Zimbabweans in the diaspora through video and transcribe their stories.

Every week, I’ll share two stories, one on Monday and the other on Friday. The Monday story will be from Zimbabwe and the Friday story from the Diaspora,” said Ndlovu.

Ndlovu who runs a production company, eTembo Productions said she was inspired to introduce the show to try and change the narrative after realising how badly the Zimbabwean story was being told.

“There were way too many negative stories about Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe yet every time I was in the country, I’d be inspired by so many people. I then decided to build this platform where people could just go and read about these humans of Zimbabwe in order to be inspired.

“Other than those in Zimbabwe, there are also a lot of Zimbabweans in the diaspora doing great things across the globe and we need to know about them and acknowledge every one of them,” she said.

The first show, Ndlovu said will focus on game-changers from Bulawayo.

“The first story will be from Bulawayo with the one from the diaspora being that of Nicolle Moyo – a Zimbabwe-born, UK-based councillor in Peterborough who is one of the youngest councillors in the United Kingdom,” she said.

Ndlovu who has over 10 years professional experience in the film and television industry as a writer, producer, video editor and professional pitch writer graduated from Toronto Canada’s York University with an Honours Degree, Double Major in Communication Science & Anthropology which she achieved concurrently with a Diploma in the competitive Seneca College’s School of Communication Arts Joint Broadcast Television programme.

After graduating, her career started off in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California at The Africa Channel, where she was involved in several productions on and off camera. She worked in both pre and post-production, serving in the capacities of content researcher, associate producer and video editor. She field-produced an Image Award nominated Promo for musical legend – Prince in “Prince Behind the Symbol” and also produced and edited “The Annual Pan African Film Festival” event ‘Night of Tribute’ in 2010 and 2011. Through E-Tembo Productions, she is working to create insightful edutainment content that is unique and inspiring to all Africans. This year she also started her t-shirt business, Tees by Zee which highlights different neighbourhoods in several cities in Zimbabwe. – @mthabisi_mthire