By Abdi Ali
Published December 9, 2020
Debra Musanyare Matabvu of Zimbabwe has won the 2020 African Women in Media Award in an event that brought together what is touted as being the largest and most influential panel of judges ever assembled for a journalism prize in Africa.
The award, by a pan-African communications and business consultancy known as Africa Press Office (APO), recognises, celebrates, and empowers African women in mass media who support female entrepreneurship throughout Africa.
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The announcement of Debra Matabvu, a news reporter at The Sunday Mail, a weekly newspaper, was made during the 6th Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) Virtual Conference and Awards held December 2 – 3, 2020.
The jury voted on a shortlist of five finalists, and chose Debra Matabvu as the winner for her article, Ethel defies Gokwe myth, that tells the story of Ethel Chiwara-Mupambwa who has challenged the traditional rules of life in her community to become a businesswoman and founder of MoneyMart Finance.
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“Debra Matabvu receives a US$2500 cash prize and will also be invited to attend online courses from one of the most respected universities in the world,” a statement from APO says.
Debra Matabvu holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Media Studies from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Zimbabwe. She has also worked with Reuters and is a member of the World Association of Newspaper and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)’s 2020 Women in News Leadership Accelerator Programme. She is passionate about Women, Education and Health issues.
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Debra Matabvu’s articles, says Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Founder and Chairman of APO Group, “demonstrates the quality of journalism in Africa, and celebrates a true success story in our quest for equality.”
Pompigne-Mognard says the award is part of APO Group’s commitment to supporting the development of journalism on the continent.
Ugandan journalist Nila Yasmin won the 2019 APO Group African Women in Media Award.
