Mthabisi Onias ( 2nd fom left) with US ambassador to Zimbabwe Henry Thomas (third from left) and other 2017 Mandela Washington Fellows
Andile Tshuma, Showbiz Reporter
One of Bulawayo’s brightest young filmmakers, Mthabisi Onias Ndlovu will be leaving the country for the United States of America next week on Thursday to attend the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
The programme which started in 2014 provides up to 1 000 outstanding young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa with the opportunity to hone their skills at a US higher education institution with support for professional development after they return home.
Mthabisi who is travelling with 58 other young people from Zimbabwe said he hoped to gain business knowledge and fresh ideas from other African fellows and USA leaders.
“The Mandela Washington Fellowship connects young African business leaders with leaders in USA and other countries who will be attending the fellowship.
“We’ll be there for six weeks getting business and entrepreneurship training as well as networking. All this will definitely help me expand and grow my business through interacting with mentors in the US,” said Mthabisi.
Having set up a Film and Video company, ONVI TV at 19 when he was a Journalism and Media Studies student at the National University of Science and Technology, Mthabisi said he hoped to inspire fellow youths.
“I’ve been in the business of film and video production for five years now and I’ve been running ONVI TV of which the online TV platform has been nominated for two awards at this year’s Nama and BAAs,” he said.
Mthabisi said he was selected for the Mandela fellowship because the organisers saw his potential.
“Because I started ONVI TV when I was 19, they invited me to be part of this programme so that they train me more. They take leaders and founders of innovative, impactful projects and businesses,” he said.
Another Bulawayo fellow going for the Mandela Washington Fellowship is Nomalanga Ndlovu, a public speaking coach and founder of Outspoken, a communication and personal branding start-up.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship programme of former US President Barrack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) that takes young people through academic coursework, leadership training and networking.
Previous Zimbabwean recipients include radio personality Napoleon Nyanhi, dance activist Plot Mhako and International Images Film Festival director, Yvonne Jila.
@andile_tshuma