The city of Bulawayo has given birth to a number of people who have gone on to do great exploits in the world.
Some have come from the dusty streets of the townships to the paved roads of Europe and America, they have not let their background define them but have stood firm and worked hard to get where they are.
On this list we have people from business, politics and sport.
1. Peter Ndlovu – Soccer Star
Peter ‘Nsukuzonke ‘ Ndlovu, from the dusty streets of Mzilikazi, he became the first African player to play proffesionally in England for fifteen seasons. He was also the most payed player in the South african premier league and is still the top goal scorer for the Zimbabwe national soccer team.
He is currently the team manager at Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa long after his retirement from professional football.
Mthuli Ncube
Mthuli Ncube the minister of finance and economic development of Zimbabwe. His first job was to lecture in finance at the London School Of Economics at the age of 28, he has also managed to chair many boards with ZITF and the Hwange Colliery to name just a few. He has published 14 books in the area of economics.
Sifiso Dabengwa
Former C.E.O of the MTN South Africa. He currently sits on the management board at Eskom.
Sarah Nyathi
Co-founder of Harvest House Internatonal Church Senior Reverend Dr Sarah Nyathi. Today there are over 500 branches of the church across the continent and abroad including in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia,Swaziland, Nigeria, Australia, NEW Zealand,Abu Dhabi and the U.K.
Dr Sarah Nyathi holds a diploma in Biblical studies, P. H.D in Pastoral studies, a diploma in business leadership as well as a BA in Christian Entrepreneurship.
Every October a day marked Dorcas day is set aside wherE women visit old age homes, orphanages, hospitals and prisons.
Thokozani Khuphe
Thokozani Khuphe is another strong women who has risen from being a trade unionist to become the President of the M.D.C-T. She was once the deputy Prime minister of Zimbabwe.
Dr Collin Nyathi
Bishop Dr Colin Nyathi is the founder of Harvest House International Church, since 1995 when it started the church has grown to have over 500 churches around the world.
In 2018 saw the reccording of the first Dvd which he excecutively produced, Dr Nyathi is a holder of BA honours degree in economics,BA honours degree in ministry a masters degree in accounting and a masters degree in Apostolic ministry.
David Coltart
David Coltart, MDC Senator, has been a human rights lawyer in Zimbabwe since his return to the country in 1983.
He was first elected to represent the Bulawayo South House of Assembly constituency in June 2000, and was re-elected in March 2005. In March 2008 he was elected as a Senator to represent the Khumalo Senatorial constituency in Bulawayo. Senator Coltart was sworn in as Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture in February 2009.
Author of a detailed Human Rights report concerning human rights abuses in Matabeleland during the Gukurahundi in 1985, submitted to the Governor of Matabeleland North and the Minister of Justice at that time. (In the capacity as a partner in Webb, Low and Barry handled hundreds of human rights cases between 1983 and 1986 and indeed until the present time).
He is holder of BA (Law) University of Cape Town and LLB (Post graduate law degree) University of Cape Town.
Raj Modi
Raj Modi is a Member of Parliament for Bulawayo South constituency, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, award-winning businessman, philanthropist and a member of Zanu-PF.
Modi worked for the India Electricity Board as a cashier for two years. He came to Zimbabwe in September 1981.He has won a number of awards as an individual as well for his businesses.
Cont Mhlanga
Cont Mhlanga is a retired Zimbabwean playwriter, he retired in 2016 after 36 years in the arts industry to focus in agribusiness in his rural home of Lupane.
He established Amakhosi Cultural Center in 1982 which started off as a youth karate club and turned semi-professional in 1988. It created the first pilot center, the Amakhosi Performing Arts Workshop (APAW), which produced and toured with theater plays written and directed by Mhlanga.
In 1995 Amakhosi established the country’s first privately owned cultural center located within the boundaries of the townships, now popularly known as the Township Square Cultural Center. Mhlanga wrote more than 20 plays among them The Good President, The End, Sinjalo, Children on Fire, Games and Bombs, The Members and Vikela has three books to his name. He also adapted the popular play Stitsha to a TV series.
Busisa Moyo
Mr. Busisa Moyo is an Independent Non-Executive Director at First Capital Bank Ltd., a Chairman at Oil Expressers Association of Zimbabwe and a Chief Executive Officer at United Refineries Ltd.
He is on the Board of Directors at First Capital Bank Ltd. Mr. Moyo was previously employed as a President by Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries.
Trevor Ncube
Trevor Vusumuzi Ncube is a Zimbabwean born entrepreneur who is the founder, owner and executive chairman of two newspapers in Zimbabwe, namely the Zimbabwe Independent and The Standard.
He is also the owner of Munn Marketing which is magazine and newspaper distribution company in Zimbabwe, and Strand Multiprint, a commercial and newspaper printing company. He is former owner of the Mail & Guardian Media Group (South Africa). He is a holder of First class Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economic History.
Sarah Mpofu-Sibanda
Born Sarah Mpofu-Sibanda, she went to school at Mtshede and Luveve Primary Schools, then to Luveve High in Bulawayo’s famous township of Luveve.
She later graduated as a model in 1986 at Face Enterprises Modelling Agency at a time when the industry was the preserve of Caucasian models.
Modelling was deemed to be a profession of people of loose morals and the uneducated. Sarah who runs the Bulawayo-based Fingers Modelling Agency has come a long way in the pageant business.
Heath Streak
 Heath Streak is a Zimbabwean cricket coach and former cricketer who played for and captained the Zimbabwe national cricket team. By his statistical record, he is the best bowler to have played for Zimbabwe.
He is the only Zimbabwean bowler to have taken over 100 Test wickets and one of only four Zimbabwean bowlers to have taken over 100 ODI wickets. He was the head coach of Zimbabwe until early 2018 and was the bowling coach for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League 2018.
Takunda Chingonzo.
Takunda Chingonzo is a Bulawayo based entrepreneur and community leader in Zimbabwe. He is known mostly for being the founder of tech startup Sai Sai, interviewing former USA president Barack Obama and founding the collaborative working space for entrepreneurs called TechVillage.
Chingonzo was at the National University of Science and Technology when he founded Sai Sai in June 2013.In August 2015, Chingonzo was part of the US Young African Leaders Initiative and interned at Microsoft in the USA. During a conference held around that time, Chingonzo interviewed Obama on stage and rose to national prominence after the interview.In January 2016, Chingonzo founded TechVillage.
Sandra Ndebele
Sandra Ndebele is a female Zimbabwean musician, director, actress, choreographer and dancer. She has made a name for herself in Zimbabwe as a versatile performer, having performed in India, Dubai, China, United Kingdom, Russia, Canada and Japan.
She is currently an ambassador for Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, National Blood Service Zimbabwe, Mpilo Hospital and Suzuki. In 2018 Sandra rebranded herself as well as her music.She now dons a more modern look and has a high energy dance sound. She is currently working on a new album, which will see her feature not only Zimbabwean collaborations but as far afield as West Africa.
There are people like Kevin Malunga who is the deputy public protector, Peter Moyo who is the C.E.O of Old Mutual among the list. Bulawayo has birth more of these hard working individuals who however have relocated to some parts of the world and are doing very well. In conclusion Bulawayo has raised a vast number of successful people who succeded in the fields they ventured into and have raised the country’s flag high.
