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Carpe Diem Corporate Communications: The Journey of Two Friends Seizing a Life-Changing Opportunity

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Leaving not only your job but also your profession to start a business after nearly two decades of working in the same industry can seem like something of a plunge into the unknown.

But for Mabasa Sasa, a journalist with a wealth of international experience in the print media, the decision to establish Carpe Diem Corporate Communications in 2021 was a matter of seizing a life changing opportunity and making the most of it.

It was also the result of years and years of planning between himself and co-founder Tendai Karumazondo, a close friend.

Four years down the line since its formation, Carpe Diem Corporate Communications – a company that offers public and media relations, concept creation, development and optimization among a range of other services – is punching above its weight.

The company is on a growth trajectory, giving its more established competitors in Zimbabwe and the Southern African region a good run for their money.

“We also do editing and proofreading, publications production, video scripting and production, graphic design, research, scripting as well as translations,” Mabasa explains.

Two friends joined at the hip
Mabasa, the director of Carpe Diem Corporate Communications, was born in Murewa in 1982, did his secondary schooling at Kutama College and later Zimbabwe Distance Education College (ZDECO) before completing a National Diploma in Mass Communication at Harare Polytechnic in 2003.

“On the first day of Mass Communication class, one of the lecturers, Mr Gonese, asked each one of us where we saw ourselves within ten years of graduation. My answer was that I will be running a communications business.

“Well, it took more than ten years to get there, but I guess it’s something I’d always had an eye on when I entered the field. After nearly 20 years in the mainstream media, with significant international experience and exposure, I felt sufficiently equipped to identify gaps and opportunities, so I took the plunge.

“At the same time, I was going through personal changes and felt compelled to leave traditional mainstream media. A close colleague, Tendai, had just relocated back to Zimbabwe after many years in Namibia and together we established Carpe Diem Corporate Communications.”

“Tendai, who had worked for a variety of publications for over 10 years, is a genius designer an innovative thinker and above all, a great friend.”

Carpe Diem, Latin for “Seize the Day” was a befitting name for a company formed by two friends who were determined to find their own entrepreneurial path, despite whatever life would throw at them.

International footprint
Mabasa says penetrating a sector historically dominated by legacy agencies has presented Carpe Diem Corporate Communications with one of their biggest challenges. Their response has been to offer personalized, bespoke solutions – giving them a distinct advantage over their competitors.

But their achievements have so far outweighed their challenges and that the company has been able to strike strategic partnerships in Zimbabwe, Namibia and other countries within the SADC region speaks volumes of how their footprint has become an international one.

“I am the managing director and my primary responsibilities are client acquisition and business development, client retention and quality control.

“Within a relatively short period of time, we have managed to establish partnerships with major organizations such as the Institute of African Knowledge, the Air Force of Zimbabwe, and a couple of organizations within the SADC region.

“We are also working with several small businesses and individuals. I like to think that this speaks to our capacity to conceptualize innovative communications solutions regardless of the size of the organization or what field it is in.”

Unique but competitive
Looking ahead, Mabasa sees a very bright future for Carpe Diem. A future that will see the company making more inroads into the international market and solidifying its position as an emerging force in the Zimbabwean communications space.

He sees his core team of seven members and the many contractors who compliment some of the services offered by the company growing to a larger number as part of an expansion drive that is envisaged within the next five years.

“We are looking more at expanding the contractor base and remote working opportunities. Cape Diem is entirely focused on consolidation and controlled growth. As a business that offers tailor-made solutions and personalized services, we do not want to grow exponentially and then inadvertently fail to provide that which makes us unique and competitive.”

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