In 2012 and at the very young age of 14, Maud Chifamba became the youngest ever University of Zimbabwe student and tertiary education student in Southern Africa. I recently got the opportunity to have a chat with her to talk about her journey and experiences.

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Last week we reported on a docuseries that would delve into the journey of Africa's first Karate World Champion Shihan Samson Muripo. The production was done by a local content platform called Yakontent with the backing of First Mutual Holdings Limited. To get more about the production I spoke to Tafadzwa Munyaradzi from Yakontent, Farayi Mangwende from First Mutual and the man himself Shihan Samson Muripo.

You can watch the first episode of the Samson Muripo Docuseries with the link here.

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Part two of our discussion on the benefits of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology is a more focused one. In this episode, we look at the use cases for the blockchain and cryptos that go beyond financial services. And I was joined yet again by Financial Services Lawyer and Blockchain Technology Analyst, Prosper Mwedzi.

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Thumeza, is a local startup that offers financing to small scale logistics operators. It was recently named as one of the 10 finalists for the Telecel Group under its Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP) and Startupbootcamp Afritech US$750K accelerator along with another Zimbabwean startup called Dawa Health.

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Today I was joined by the former member of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe's Monetary Policy Committee, Eddie Cross. We explored the recently launched ZWL $50 note, the contrast in policy and environment from Rhodesia to present-day Zimbabwe. The forex auction system and if it has been a success, his current capacity in financial policymaking and the general outlook going forward.

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Who remembers the days when you had to use a pen or pencil to rewind a cassette tape? They seem like a lifetime ago, and for good reason. The production and distribution of music in Zimbabwe (and the world over) has been liberalized to the point that anyone with a laptop can be a producer and artists.

The shift has also seen the downfall of the power that record labels like Gramma Records and radio stations held over artists. In most cases, local radio stations are sourcing their music on WhatsApp and online, like everyone else. To talk more about the industry and how it has changed over the years I was joined by Plot Mhako a man who has deep roots in the local music industry. He is also the journalist who broke the NashTv contract leak that we reported on earlier this year.

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Bitcoin and altcoin price fluctuation is a complex topic to get to the bottom of. There are a number of factors that influence their price. Some factors are apparent while others are in the realm of speculation. To shed light on what causes the dips and peaks in the price of Bitcoin we were joined by Financial Services Lawyer Prosper Mwedzi who if you remember is pushing a private cryptocurrency bill to get Zimbabwe legislation that supports alternative currencies.

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If you own a second-hand car imported from Japan (ex-Jap) then you know that you can't access certain radio frequencies in Zimbabwe. At best you can get two maybe three (depending on where you are) because the FM frequency in Japan is between 76 - 95 MHz.

This led us down a rabbit hole of what decisions like the adoption of vehicles and other goods could have on the local ecosystem. We figured that the issue with ex-Jap cars has affected the listenership of certain radio stations that fall outside of the preset range. Also what it could mean for those stations when it comes to ad revenue because there are a lot of Ex-Jap cars on the road and many listeners will be bottlenecked into certain stations.

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Late last week the Telecel Group and Startupbootcamp Afritech announced the finalists for its Africa wide accelerator. Among the chosen few is a Zimbabwean startup called Dawa Health, which offers antenatal care to expecting parents.

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The Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) has reemerged from its long slumber. The last time ZUPCO had a presence anywhere near to what it has today was back in the late 90s early 2000s. And even though it is still working at a fraction of its capacity, the company still moves tens of thousands of people a day.

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