By Staff Reporter
HARARE – Hippo Valley Estates Limited has honoured Zimbabwean journalists for their outstanding storytelling in a competition that captured the company’s 70-year journey, with winners recognized across print, radio, and television categories at a ceremony held in Harare yesterday.
The awards, which formed part of the company’s platinum jubilee celebrations under the theme “Tadzika Midzi” (Deeply Rooted), saw journalists from across the country competing to tell the untold stories of the Lowveld sugar giant’s rich heritage, community impact, and contribution to Zimbabwe’s economy.
Speaking at the event, Hippo Valley Estates Chief Executive Officer Tendai Masawi emphasised the importance of journalism in documenting history and preserving memories for future generations.
“Journalists do much more than report events. They document history. They preserve memories. They challenge organisations to improve. They tell stories that educate, inspire and connect communities.”As part of our 70th anniversary celebrations, we wanted to encourage storytelling that goes beyond headlines, stories that explore our heritage, celebrate innovation, recognise our people and showcase the positive impact Hippo Valley Estates has made over seventy years,” said Masawi.
The competition, which was launched earlier this year, invited journalists to submit original stories under the subtheme “Hippo Valley at 70: The Untold Story,” covering topics including history and heritage, community development, agriculture and innovation, environmental sustainability, and human-interest stories.
Hippo Valley Head of Corporate and Industry Affairs Dr Dahlia Garwe said the vision behind the competition was to preserve the company’s history in a meaningful and authentic way.
“Rather than simply telling our own story, we believed it was important to invite Zimbabwe’s journalists to explore our heritage, our impact and our future through independent, insightful storytelling,” said Garwe.
She said the response to the call was encouraging, with entries received from print, television, radio and digital media journalists across Zimbabwe.In the Print Category, there were two joint winners.
Brighton Chiseva from TellZim News won for his story “The Wagon Shed Legacy: How Tongaat Hulett Built a Lowveld Dynasty of Minds,” which traced the remarkable journey from a single wagon shed to a network of elite academies that has produced over 120,000 students since 1961.
Talkmore Gandiwa also won for “Hippo Valley At 70: The Bittersweet Story.”In the Radio Category, Luke Bikausi won with “@70 Tadzika Midzi,” while Samuel Njinga took the Television Category with “Hi Dzike Timitsu.”Four runners-up were also recognised.
Tindodashe Chawagararira placed for “From Oranges to Sugarcane,” Thabisani Dube for “Deeply Rooted: The Untold Story of Hippo Valley’s Legacy,” Tendai Maererwa for “A Legacy of Resilience,” and Costain Shamu for “Digital Cane Delivery.
“Five consolation awards were presented to Aaron Gono for “We are deeply rooted,” Raymond Jaravani for “Various Articles,” Gilbert Munetsi for “Legacy of Transformations,” Passmore Ndlovu for “Hippo Valley Estates 70th Anniversary & Legacy,” and Shingirai Vambe for “Funding and Fertiliser Woes Hit Lowveld Sugar Producers.”
In her closing remarks, Corporate Communications Manager Anne Nyakunu, described the event as “a celebration of the power of storytelling.
“Through your words, your voices, your cameras and your digital platforms, you have helped preserve our heritage, celebrate our achievements and tell the stories that inspire generations,” said Nyakunu.
She said the awards marked a fitting conclusion to the company’s yearlong 70th-anniversary celebrations.
“Over the past seventy years, Hippo Valley Estates has grown because of the dedication of our employees, the commitment of our growers, the trust of our partners, the support of our communities and the confidence of stakeholders like you. As we celebrate our rich heritage, we also look ahead with optimism, committed to innovation, sustainability and creating shared value for generations to come,” she said.
