Tadzie Madzima is an inspiration to many, a true embodiment of excellence and a force to be reckoned with in the world of youth empowerment, community development and leadership.
The award-winning life and career coach has a remarkable history of winning.
Her continued recognition at local, continental and international award platforms is a testament to her unwavering commitment to excellence.
Madzima is the founder of Ignite Youth, a youth-centered organisation that empowers youths and equips them to create a vision and purpose for their lives.
Despite not receiving career guidance and mental health counselling at the school that she attended, she got motivated to provide youth in comparable situations with a safe space to learn and grow while developing their skills in leadership, advocacy, community service and economic development.
In January she won the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the third edition of the Zimbabwe Community News (ZCN) Community Trailblazers Awards. Last month she won 2 awards at the Zimbabwe CEO’s Network Women Leadership Awards in the Woman of Impact category, she scooped both the Gold Award and Platinum Award, showcasing her commitment to excellence and leadership.
Madzimas reputation as a leader and champion of change has extended beyond Zimbabwe.
Recently she won the Forty Under 40 Africa Awards in the Community Development category, highlighting the scope and scale of her achievements.
The awards identify, honour and celebrate a cross-section of the continent’s most influential and accomplished young business leaders under the age forty from a wide range of industries, who are committed to business growth, professional excellence and community service and have risen up the ranks of their companies or industries at a relatively young age as a result of this.
She was selected as a speaker and awardee of the 88th Women Economic Forum (WEF) in Lagos, Nigeria.
WEF brings together women and leaders from all walks of life to expand business opportunities and enhance personal influence through engagement across borders.
The event was slated for March but was postponed due to elections that took place in Nigeria.
Madzima’s impressive list of achievements continues to grow. She is a finalist for the Women Changing the World Awards, UK, in the Women in Education category with winners expected to be announced this month.
She is appreciative of her mother, who raised her and her siblings all by herself.
“My mother, a courageous and wonderful woman and my grandmother, who assisted in raising us, both had a profound impact on my life and the lives of my siblings,” she told Standard Style.
“My mother has always been my role model because of her tenacity and hard work.
“She worked twice as hard to make ends meet and accommodate everyone's schedules.
“She inspired and demonstrated to me that women can accomplish what they set their minds to.”
Madzima who is also a girl empowerment advocate has received a number of awards throughout the years. The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders chose her as one of its fellows (2018).
She was honoured as one of the Top Outstanding Young People recipients by JCI Zimbabwe Junior Chamber International (2020).
At Zimbabwe's Women of Excellence Awards, she took home the Shield Foundation’s Youth Mentorship Award (2020). She is a 2021 Gratitude Fellow with the US-based leadership development organisation The Gratitude Network.
The Business Connect named her as one of the Young Iconic Pacesetters of Zimbabwe (2021). Additionally, she was recognised by Nyaradzo Group for her innovation and was listed as one of Zimbabwe’s 25 influential women in Bulawayo's Amahle Magazine.
Ignite Youth, was recognised for 3 awards this year. The organisation won the Most Outstanding Youth Empowerment Organisation Award at the prestigious Zimbabwe Community News (ZCN) Community Trailblazers Awards, showcasing the impact and effectiveness of Madzima’s innovative and transformative approach to youth empowerment.
The organisation won a second award as the Best Organisation Supporting Youth in the Arts from the Poetry Red Carpet Awards. Furthermore, Ignite Youth has been nominated for the Acquisition International 2023 Non-Profit Organisation Awards. The awards are presented by AI Global Media Ltd a UK-based publishing house that has reinvigorated corporate finance news and reporting.
Through their mentorship and training programs, Ignite Youth is helping young people to think critically and creatively about how they can contribute solutions to the issues their communities and country face.
By fostering an environment of innovation and creativity, the organisation is equipping the next generation of leaders and change-makers with the skills and knowledge needed to make a positive impact.
Madzima’s achievements lend a powerful voice to the call for greater representation of women in leadership positions and for the recognition of the vital role that women play in economic development and community building.