The desire to change the narrative in which many Zimbabweans rely on foreign media outlets for news on online platforms was the driving force behind Kingstone Zimunya’s decision to embark on his entrepreneurial journey.
Kingstone, co-president of Sphere Media Ventures (SMV), is now building his own success story. His partnership with the company’s founder, Takudzwa Chiwanza, in 2022 opened numerous doors of opportunity.
SMV is a privately owned media group encompassing various entities across Zimbabwe’s growing news and creative media industries. It is an integrated media outlet that uses online platforms to deliver high-quality, engaging, and objective textual and audiovisual content about what happens “in the sphere.” SMV is the parent company of six subsidiaries, each leveraging the power of the internet to curate authentic, progressive, and engaging content. The goal is to bring people together through informed decision-making.
The partnership between Kingstone and Takudzwa is one of the key factors behind Sphere Media Ventures’ current growth. It has also allowed Kingstone to put his vision of telling the true Zimbabwean story into action.
Kingstone explains: “The Zimbabwe Sphere has existed since 2017, and I joined the team in an effort to turn it into a viable, sustainable business. Since then, it has evolved into an integrated news platform, with coverage spanning politics, law, music, sports, film, television, business, and international news.”
In 2021, Kingstone co-founded a fashion brand called Guided Youth, which made him realize the lack of documentation of Zimbabwe’s creative culture. This inspired him to create a blog called Mcheno and More, which highlights the individuals and brands working tirelessly to build a viable creative industry in Zimbabwe.
Although involved in multiple business interests, Kingstone explains why he has focused more on media than other industries.
“Business has always been my passion. I’ve always believed that business innovation will bring change to Africa. In high school, I would draw up business plans for all the industries I wanted to explore. I have vested interests in media, fashion, food service, and construction. However, over the past year, my primary focus has been in media, because it’s something that is close to my heart. I entered the media industry because I noticed that most Zimbabweans were either consuming foreign media or propaganda-driven content. I realized that media was being used as a tool for distraction or to push certain agendas.”
“This undermines the true purpose of media and journalism, which is to document people’s perspectives and lived experiences. If media fails in this role, we lose control over our history and lose sight of the perspectives needed for progress.”
“That’s why I decided to develop online media platforms that play a role in documenting our people and their stories. We have since grown our media ecosystem into a business conglomerate called Sphere Media Ventures. Our enterprise has a presence across news, talent management, advertising, and events.”
The hard work of Kingstone and his team has not gone unnoticed. The company has been nominated for numerous awards, including the 2024 Zim Hip Hop Awards under the Planet Dodger Online Media Award. Kingstone was also nominated for the Zimbabwe Annual Film and Television Awards (ZAFTAs) in the Film and Television Reporting Excellence category.
Born on January 13, 1998, in Masvingo, Kingstone spent his formative years living with his grandmother, an experience he credits for keeping him grounded and in touch with his cultural traditions and heritage.
Kingstone traces his entrepreneurial spirit back to his days at John Cowie Primary School. He recalls how the boarding school environment, away from his grandmother, fostered his self-sufficiency skills from a young age.
He spent his entire high school career at Kutama College, an all-boys Catholic school in Zvimba. There, his drive to succeed was further cultivated. Kingstone demonstrated his academic ability by achieving 11 A’s at O-Level, which paved the way for him to pursue commercial subjects at A-Level.
“I wanted to gain an early understanding of how business works, as I had always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur. I took four subjects at A-Level—Mathematics, Business Studies, Economics, and Accounting. In the end, I achieved 20 points.”
A Bachelor of Accountancy degree from the University of Zimbabwe provided an ideal foundation for his business activities, eventually leading him to SMV.
At SMV, Kingstone’s main duties include developing and executing the organization’s strategic vision, formulating long-term goals, business plans, and strategies to enhance market presence, as well as overseeing the creation and dissemination of high-quality, timely content for core and potential audiences.
Kingstone also plays a vital role in implementing revenue generation strategies to ensure sustainable growth, building relationships with industry players, coordinating with team members to ensure cohesive strategy execution, and identifying potential business risks while developing mitigation strategies.
“We aim to become one of the leading content creators in Africa and globally, curating content that matters. Our goal is to become the voice of reason, the voice for the voiceless, and the benchmark for credible, authoritative, reliable, and objective content.”
“Through our platforms and expertise, we offer media coverage and public relations services for artists, corporations, and civil society organizations. We provide competitive advertising rates for businesses seeking to leverage our audience, and we offer consultancy services for creatives trying to make an impact in Zimbabwe’s competitive entertainment landscape.”
SMV currently employs 10 people and plans to expand its staff as the company grows its online media presence. Looking ahead, Kingstone is clear about the company’s future vision.