how The story started
About us.
Magamba means ‘Heroes’ or ‘Freedom Fighters’. It all started when two young Zimbabweans, Comrade Fatso & Outspoken, met at a poetry slam and battled each other – with words. They battled other poets until it was the final round and they were pitted against each other. After some fierce throwing down of poems they tied and had to share the prize which was a quarter chicken and chips and a poetry book. Comrade Fatso was hungry so he ate the chicken. Outspoken was hunrgy for knowledge so he took the book. They realised then that they could work together and shared a vision of how creative activism could inspire young people to be part of changing our country. And so Magamba was born.
Starting off as a part-time thing that Comrade Fatso & Outspoken ran from the sitting room of their flat in the Avenues – close to the Harare city centre – Magamba Network has grown into Zimbabwe’s leading creative organisation and one of the country’s trailblazers in digital media and youth engagement.
Magamba was born at a time of hyperinflation, disillusionment and political oppression. The network emerged in 2007 and was all about inspiring young people to be part of the change our country desperately needs. And we decided to do that using fun, creative tools that speak to young people in a language they understand: from hip hop to satire, from social media to innovation.
