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Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter

YESTERDAY, social technology guru Meta launches its inaugural #Changemakers campaign – a collection of short films, aimed at illustrating the innovative spirit of six inspirational #Changemakers from Zambia and across Southern Africa.

Amidst an economic and health crisis, Meta has launched new businesses online and re-engineered their initiatives to empower communities within Southern Africa.

The gist of the launch is to help those in the creative business stay afloat in these trying Covid-19-induced conditions through using Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to innovate, as they seek to ride out the challenges of the pandemic.

The featured films exhibit adaptive skills that the #Changemakers have enacted during this time of crisis and also celebrates their resilience amidst economic and health storms.

Featured in the films are different #Changemakers drawn from Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Zimbabwe had two representatives, Maxwell Chimedza and Kerita Tawana Choga.

Maxwell Chimedza turned to Facebook and WhatsApp to educate students, when schools closed in Zimbabwe, this increased the demand for his WhatsApp classrooms.

Kerita Tawana Choga launched an errand-running service, Tuma Kerri, in November 2020. Today, it serves hundreds of customers mostly from the diaspora who want to deliver goods to family and friends in Zimbabwe or get other chores done.

Commenting on the campaign and the importance of empowering SMBs during this time, Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director at Meta Africa, said “We’re proud to play a role in this transformation. Our recent study conducted by Genesis Analytics has indicated that 84% of African SMBs that use Meta technologies have reported them to be critical in the growth of their business. More so, 77% indicated that their business is stronger today because of our technologies. It’s important for us to help SMBs and people who are using Meta technologies as they rebuild, re-engineer, and recover from the ongoing pandemic and economic crisis. We believe, as these Changemakers have shown, that digital tools and solutions can empower SMBs and creators to find new customers, create revenue streams, and ultimately, reinvent their businesses for a time of flux and change.”  – @eMKlass_49