The Sunday News
Lance Chigodo Sunday Leisure Reporter
DROP-DEAD gorgeous Nigeria-based, Zimbabwean actress-cum producer, Memory Savanhu was recently nominated for an award at the Zimbabwe International Women Awards to be held in October this year. The event is scheduled to be held at the Birmingham Town Hall in the United Kingdom. Savanhu, who declined to give her age, perhaps because of “women-related issues”, has been acting in Nigerian movies for the past eight years. Several of the movies she has produced and starred in have won several awards in the Nollywood film industry.
Savanhu has featured in popular Nigerian movies such as Lagos Cougars, Reloaded and One Fine Day among others.
Among the films she has produced is Distance Between, which stars renowned Nollywood personalities such as Rita Dominic, Mercy Johnson and Yemi Blaq.
In an interview with Sunday Leisure from her Nigerian base, Savanhu said she was happy to be working in one of Africa’s biggest film industries and would soon shoot a movie in Zimbabwe.
“Nollywood is the king of African movies. I am supposed to shoot a movie in Zimbabwe in September. I want to share what I have learnt here with my fellow countrymen,” she said.
Apart from acting, the “yellow-bone” multi-talented star has featured in some of Nigeria’s widely read magazines — Vanguard and Golden Icons. Savanhu said she studied drama in London, where she grew up and she also attended the New York Film Academy in Abu Dhabi, where she also studied film making from 2008 to 2009.
“Seeing a production come to life thrills me. I am fulfilled when I see my creativity translated into reality. That is why I love film-making. My entertainment journey started when I was in school. I used to act in school plays and coordinate school assemblies. I just knew I was going to be a star,” she said.
Savanhu said she had picked up quite a lot from Nigerian stars such as Izu Ojukwu.
“I have worked with Emem Isong. I did Catwalk in 2010. We just finished Lagos Cougars, the new one. It’s a TV series starring Jocelyn Dumas, Rita Dominic and I. I was excited when I knew Rita was going to be on set. I have learnt a lot from her as well. Rita was always there to explain whenever I had issues with my role,” she said.
Savanhu is probably the first Zimbabwean to break through the Nigerian film industry and is the envy of many.
Not a woman of many words Savanhu prefers to have pictures tell her story.
Check out some of her pictures from a recent photo shoot she did when she relocated to Lagos, Nigeria.
