Jah Prayzah is highest earning artist in Zim: Zimura

By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka

Third Generation star — Jah Payzah — is the highest earning musician in Zimbabwe according to latest royalties disbursed by Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura).

The Nyaya Yerudo singer was pole position ahead of Oliver Mtukudzi in second position and Winky D in third position.

ExQ and Freeman are in fourth and fifth place while at number 6 is Killer T. all the young at least own houses or at least building one.

Zimura is an association of composers and publishers of music that was created to protect the rights of musicians under copyright law and to collect royalties on behalf of the musicians from radio stations that would have played the music.

The royalties are disbursed to the artists every year in the month of June according to the airplay that the music received on the stations.

According to Zimura, the organisation collected $23 million in royalties from Star FM, ZiFM and ZBC and the money is being distributed to 3 300 Zimura members.

The organisation also collected US$30 810 for disbursement to foreign musicians.

The highest-earning musician received $400 000 (approximately US$4700 on the official market and US$3 300 on the black market) while the lowest-earning musician overall received $12 (approximately US$0.14 on the official market and US$0.10 on the black market).

The late national hero and music legend Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi who passed away in 2019 is second on the list. Music icons Leonard Dembo who died in 1996 and Simon Chimbetu who died in 2005 are also in the top 10 highest earning Zimbabwe musicians lists in terms of royalties.

The list below is only about royalties and does not include money which the musicians earn from live shows, online streaming platforms and product endorsements.