Zimbabwean journalist Debra Matabvu
is the winner of the 2020 APO Group African Women in Media Award. The award
recognizes, celebrates and empowers African women in the media who support
female entrepreneurship throughout the continent.
Matabvu’s victory was announced at the sixth Africa Women Innovation and
Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) virtual
conference and awards. The judging panel
consisted of one hundred luminaries, with global icons such as Naomi Campbell
joined by senior executives from major industries on the continent. It was one of the largest and most influential panels of judges ever
assembled for an African media award, reflecting the importance of recognizing
gender equality in business and the media.
The jury voted on a shortlist of five finalists and chose Matabvu as the winner
for her article: “Ethel defies Gokwe
myth.” The piece tells
the story of Ethel Chiwara-Mupambwa who challenged the traditional rules of
life in her community to become a successful businesswoman, and the founder of
MoneyMart Finance.
Matabvu received a USD2, 500 cash prize and she
will also be invited to attend online courses from one of the most respected universities
in the world. Matabvu is a news reporter at The Sunday Mail, a weekly newspaper
owned by Zimbabwe Newspapers (Zimpapers). She joined the paper in 2014 and
holds a bachelor of science degree in journalism and media studies from the
National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Zimbabwe. She has also
worked with Reuters and is a member of the World Association of Newspaper and
News Publishers 2020 women in news leadership accelerator programme. She is
passionate about women, education and health issues. “APO Group remains committed to shining a
light on stories of hope and positivity and to supporting the development of
journalism throughout Africa,” said Nicolas Pompigne- Mognard, founder and
chairman of APO Group
