By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
The billboards are everywhere!
In corner shops, malls and pavements, the posters with Tanzanian bongo flava recording artists, actor, dancer, philanthropist and businessman Diamond Platnumz are all over Harare’s city centre.
While Zimbabwe is awash with talent, they are yet to learn a thing or two about brand extension from the likes of Diamond Platnumz who is appearing on iTel mobile phones billboards in Harare with the most popular one at Copacabana terminus.
It is a pity that Zimbabwean artists are to achieve such levels of becoming brands for such big companies as iTel although there is a ready market for the product.
The mobile phones known for their affordability and user friendly, are popular in Zimbabwe and are imported from mostly Dubai and China.
But the one good thing about Diamond Platnumz being the fact of iTel mobile phones is that he has the numbers.
He has over 5.52 subscribers on his YouTube channel, His collaboration with Congolese musician giant Koffi Olomide has so far streamed 81.7 million views on YouTube while on his own Diamond Platnumz hit Kamata also streamed 6.1 million views on YouTube.
Diamond Platnumz is among the most popular artists in East and Central Africa. He is the first Africa-based artist to reach a combined total of 900 million YouTube views Diamond is one of the top earners in the African Great Lakes region’s music industry.
In 2021, Diamond together with his record label WCB Wasafi entered into a 360 Partnership with Warner Music Group.
Naseeb Abdul Juma Issack, popularly known by his stage name Diamond Platnumz, is a Tanzanian bongo flava recording artist, actor, dancer, philanthropist and a businessman from Tandale, Dar es Salaam. He is the founder and CEO of WCB Wasafi Record Label, Zoom Extra, Wasafi TV, a Tanzanian media outlet, and Wasafi Fm.
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