Zimbabwe association turns 10

The Marketers Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) started out as an idea in 2004 when Gillian Rusike, the association’s Executive Secretary, realised the many challenges faced by marketers in Zimbabwe, including the lack of recognition for the profession and the fragmentation amongst marketing professionals due to the lack of adequate networking opportunities.

With the mission to promote marketing excellence and professionalism, he met with top marketers Truster Chikoore, Memory Ndoro-Mandiya and Ruth Ncube to discuss forming an association. MAZ was established on 5 July 2007 and was followed by the election of the association’s first president, Ancha Chimbghandah, in 2008.

The association has come a long way since its foundation 10 years ago. Aside from a significant growth in membership, MAZ has introduced different training and career development programmes, including the ZimChartered Marketer programme, and organised several marketing events such as the Annual Marketers Convention, providing opportunities for Zimbabwean marketers to develop and network with their peers.

One of the biggest landmarks in the association’s 10-year existence is ‘Superbrand’, an international concept introduced by MAZ in 2009. It aims to recognise exceptional brands and to promote the discipline of branding in Zimbabwe, as deliberated by consumers and industry experts.

For more information, please contact MAZ.