Megafest Holdings

A new leadership training company, Amplified Zimbabwe, which opened its doors in 2019, has indicated its readiness to assist businesses and leaders mainly through business events such as workshops, meetings and conferences. Led by local top management consultant, educationalist and renowned motivational speaker, Dr Tafadzwa Matsika as its managing director, the Harare-based company seeks to assist businesspeople and companies in personal, professional and business development.

Its programmes, which include conferences, training and networking, are tailored to assist business owners, directors and executives to optimise their personal performance and increase the productivity of their companies and/or organisations.

Dr Matsika, who also runs Megafest Holdings that organises the Megafest Business Awards, explained to Business Events the rationale of the business and what it aims to achieve.

“When we were on the marketplace we noticed some gaps that were there. In fact, what Megafest has done is that it has brought up a number of opportunities which other players in the industry have gone on to ride on. Personally, I have said let me come up with a new baby to address issues that Megafest cannot do because it is primarily focusing on its major business,” he said.

He highlighted that despite winning business awards, some business owners and executives needed training in various areas using conferencing and other formats.

 “I saw a gap in the conferencing and training industry. A lot of people will get awards but they still need training. A lot of people will get awards but they need induction as far as business operationalities are concerned so I am closing that gap. Yes you’ve got an award but let’s do further training. Yes, you’ve got an award but let’s make noise about it. Just from the word amplified, the company is about to making noise. That’s a gap that we saw and we are trying to run with it and there will be lot of exciting moments this year, COVID-19 or no COVID-19,” said a buoyant Dr Matsika.

The Amplified boss indicated that his company would foster networking using various business events platforms and types.

“There will be conferences, training, there will be meetings which will be packaged as training, be it online, virtual and, if God permits, even the physical conferences as time goes throughout the year. There will be a lot of networking. Then we are also going to do events. There is a problem in Zimbabwe. The problem is you come up with your own industry (or) your own business but you don’t get to intermingle with others so that you exchange notes in terms of how best you can improve it,” he lamented.

“So the events side will see a lot of networking that’s going to take place, a lot of cross-pollination of ideas so that we are able to grow. Gone are the days when people would simply to say, ‘Ichi ndechangu ndega ichi (This business belongs to me alone).’ No no no. In fact, I am of the mind-set that you don’t own a company. The company is owned by your customers. They have a better voice in terms of rationality. They are the ones who determine the quality (of your products and services). They are the ones who determine what the right price is and so on. So these events will assist in promoting engagement.  

Asked about his company’s unique selling point and its chances of survival in a market which is already replete with other players, Dr Matsika was very upbeat.

“We are like bulldogs. When we come into any industry, we take over. Just like what Megafest did when we got into the market, we understand the weaknesses of the existing industry players. So some we are going to collaborate with (and) some we are going to trample over. It’s dog eat dog right now so Amplified by its nature and experience – 12 years of running and doing amazing functions for us this is like a walk. We know the market and we are ready for it,” he said.

“We are simply saying give us an opportunity to make noise on your behalf  – noise in terms of marketing, noise in terms of training and noise in terms of exposure. That is what we know well and are eager to do and no one is going to cry foul because of that. 2021 is going to be a very good year regardless of the false start,” Dr Matsika said.