The Sunday News
Mbongeni Msimanga, Sunday Life Correspondent
YOUNG entrepreneur and producer, Mthabisi Mpofu has set his sight high in Bulawayo’s entertainment industry as he has come up with a show catering for young upcoming artistes.
The show titled The Run Up produced under Onvi TV is one of its kind has so far been uploaded on YouTube showcasing Bulawayo’s untapped talent that has been left out of the limelight.
In an interview with Sunday Life, Mpofu said there was need to give untapped talent coverage and also display their talents on set.
“The project is mainly to bridge the gap that has been left out by mainstream media. Small artistes have often been left out, yet there is hidden talent that can also rise to stardom,” he said.
Although efforts have been made by other young budding producers to come up with similar projects, most if not all have suffered a stillbirth and often fail to take off.
Mpofu said his project will be unique and believes he has a lot to offer given his experience in producing documentaries and other film projects.
“I noted that shows like The Grapevine and Bulawayo Reloaded have tried to come up with such concepts but have failed along the way, and more specifically they were focusing on one genre of art. My project is all encompassing and my background experience in film producing will be an advantage for me as well,” he said.
The budding producer has also been working with Arthur Evans in producing the Arthur C Evans show that is set to debut on Zambezi TV on DSTV.
“I have also been part of the production team of the Arthur Evans show and I participated in production as well. Arthur has also helped out a lot as well in terms of mentoring,” he said.
Mpofu however, enters a field that is dominated by names such as Andy “Cutta” Sobhuza, Kudzai Chikomo, Willard “Slimaz” Makombedze and Charles Mawungwa who have been dominating production industry, but believes he can only take a leaf from them and improve his skills.
“It will not be an easy task to breakthrough in the industry, but I have personally worked with Andy Cutta and he has advised me on many occasions. I believe big names will give me room for growth as well, and I will learn from them,” he said.
To date, Mpofu has produced 80 videos, with some being played on ZBC and Christ TV.
@mboemsimanga
