Zimbabwe’s sungura musicians are increasingly learning how to use social media as more than a noticeboard for gig guides. For years, many artists maintained pages with little interaction, often treating online engagement as unnecessary or even beneath serious musicianship. Yet social media is now central to music marketing. Its real power lies not simply in advertising, but in capturing and personalising attention.
By Tinashe Mutero
This is what some sungura artists took time to understand. There was a period when Esteem Communications managed Alick Macheso’s page, and some observers accused the administrator of “doing too much” in the comments section. In retrospect, that approach may have been ahead of its time. The administrator, possibly Takemore Mazuruse, appeared to understand that online visibility depends on interaction, not just announcement.
Recent exchanges involving Gift Amuli, Derick Mpofu and First Farai show how social media conflict can be converted into musical attention. Amuli and Mpofu publicly challenged First Farai over alleged corruption and incompetence within the ZIMURA board. The dispute escalated online, and at one point Amuli was arrested and reportedly spent time in police cells over allegations of cyberbullying First Farai.
What makes this case interesting is that it has produced different results from the fan-driven hostility often seen between supporters of Alick Macheso and Mark Ngwazi. In those cases, online exchanges frequently descend into insults that damage the public image of sungura. The main beneficiaries are often page administrators who monetise engagement while contributing little to the brands they claim to support.
By contrast, the Amuli, Mpofu and First Farai dispute has generated music-led attention. The song Mari Yechema, released by Gift Amuli and Derick Mpofu three weeks ago, has attracted notable interest. Although not strictly sungura, it had reached about 16,000 views at the time of writing, outperforming other recent releases on Derick Mpofu’s channel. Its appearance as the only song on Gift Amuli’s channel also suggests that the controversy may have pushed him toward monetising online platforms more deliberately.
First Farai has also benefited from the attention, although less securely. His teaser for Teki Teki has already been stitched together and reposted by other channels, potentially diverting income from his own platforms. Still, this form of unauthorised circulation is less damaging than content that fuels hatred between bands and fan bases.
The lesson is clear. Sungura artists can no longer afford to treat social media as a space for the idle or talentless. Used strategically, it can build audiences, sustain visibility and convert public attention into revenue. Used carelessly, it can damage reputations while enriching outsiders.
The challenge now is not whether sungura musicians should engage online, but whether they can control the attention economy around their own music.
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