I only joined twitter in 2012, all along I just thought it was a place for celebrities to make announcements and rack up millions of followers. I also didn’t like the idea of ‘following’ people, found it weird. After joining I decided to follow fellow Zimbabweans and engage with them for the most part. After following and engaging with many Zimbabweans, I was curious to meet twimbos in real life and see what they were like in real life. Twimbos is the name for Zimbabweans ‘zimbos’ on twitter. I am not sure who coined the term.
This list consists of twimbos I have met in real life. These are people I first engaged with on twitter. And I have to say, I haven’t met a single twimbo who I haven’t liked! Though we have had differing opinions and views on twitter, meeting in real life was a pleasant affair, some we have gone on to do business together, strengthen bonds, created partnerships and referred each other so I certainly don’t regret joining twitter and it has been my number one social media platform for engagement, activism (keyboard?) and a source for news. Generally what you see with me on twitter is what you get.
Generally what you see with me on twitter is what you get. Large percentage of people I follow and who follow me are Zimbabweans. So without further ado, behold the list of honorouble ladies and gentle men of the Twimbos society of twitter whom I have met in person;
1. @KBMpofu
The most interesting meet up with a twimbo has to be @KBMpofu. After coming from Zimbabwe and posting pics of the Around the ground Report I posted pics of Chris Mpofu and @KBMpofu wanted the pics. We all used to communicate on Zimbabwe cricket forums. Then while talking I found out he was in Joburg, and on more details realised we were in the same hood, same flat. It turned out he lived on the next floor above ours. I would go to his place at 1am in the morning to watch the West Indies vs Zimbabwe series.
2. @RutendoDenise
One of the first twimbos I remember following is @RutendoDenise when she was still at Monash. I was so impressed with her 16k tweets at that time. She happened to be the first twimbo I met, she had an exhibition in her room at varsity and I thought it was such a cool idea and I went through to see it and we did an interview on her phone for POVO online magazine. Rutendo since then has been an inspiration and blazes her own trail.
3. @gomorezvidinha
Being an avid follower of cricket, I found @gomorezvidinha writing for espncricnfo and always read his well informed articles on Zimbabwe cricket. We had arranged to meet during HIFA since we were in Zimbabwe at the same time. But we kept missing each other, our last effort being at an U16 cricket tournament at Takashinga. Where I got the opportunity to meet up with Mangongo and chat to him and found him to be a passionate about cricket development in Zimbabwe. We eventually met up at the Book Cafe 2 years later.
4. @Clikcspeed
Another forumite at Zimbabwe Cricket Forums who I used to engage with. We happened to be going to home affairs at around the same time so we met there while sorting our papers out.
5. SirNige
Coincidentally met @Sirnige at a training for updating a certain website. I had followed @Sirnige since the inception of @263chat. I respected him for his dedication to that idea, and his patience.
6. @AnesuFreddy
At the same training I also met up with @AnesuFreddy, a web developer.
7. @begottensun
One of my most respected MCs in Zimbabwe, Saw him while driving past in the avenues and stopped the car to go and greet him.
8. @tinsmush
I had initially made contact with @tinmush via DM as he wanted to get copies of the POVO Journal so was a pleasant surprise to see him at the Launch.
9. @fungaijustbeing
I had been an avid follower of @fungaijustbeing especially with her work with @herzimbabwe. I had seen here from afar at HIFA and she had also contributed to the POVO Journal.
10. @kwirirayi
I also met @kwirirai at the POVO Launch while he was covering the event and I was to see him at more events covering them. I had always been a follower of Three Men on A Boat and enjoyed listening to his Kwirikast.
11. @Rudodesigns
First became aware of @Rudodesigns work after she did a logo for a childhood friend of mine based in the US. I was impressed with her work. She went on to showcase her work in the POVO Jopurnal and I met her when we were delivering the journals.
12. @thaprofoundone
I was visiting @MasimbaHwati at the Polytechnic and he introduced me to @SoProfound who was also visiting. After Masimba told me what @SoProfound did I asked if he was prepared to done of his spoken word pieces and we did it there and then – (The Math poem).
13. @sokostina
I met this special person at the POVO Launch, she happened to be the MC for the evening and she proved to be brilliant. I didn’t know her much before then, but when we first met it seemed like we had known each other for the longest time. Turned out that I also went to high school with her sister.
14. @stevenchikosi
Have been an admirer of @stevenchikosi’s photography work. I first came to know him through Behance. When I delivered the 3rd Issue of the POVO Journal Met up at the book cafe (@bookCaffe) as we waited for the Rasta Discussion to start.
15. @Chihota23
Had been discussing cricket matters on twitter, and finally met him quite by coincidence at a wedding.
16. @Ricky27_263
he had constantly invited me for Instawalks in Joburg but I couldn’t make it due to various reasons. Then he started doing at @CurateZim which I thought was a really cool concept. I met him while delivering the POVO Journals in Joburg. We chatted for a short bit then we committed to link up later. A few months later we partnered with him to bring CurateZim to Bulawayo and Harare as panel discussions. I haven’t had the opportunity to curate or go on an instawalk.
17. @RangaMberi
Came to the POVO Stand and I recognised his face but couldn’t place the name, and he introduced himself. he has always been a POVO T shirt faithful so it was great to see him.
18. @TVYangu / @munyaBloggo
Was at the Book Cafe and my power on my laptop had fizzled out. So went around looking for a power pooint as I needed to send an email. @munyaBloggo was at a power point and I asked him and he said we could share. While I was busy plugging in I realised he was uploading videos onto @TVYangu account so I hollered at him cos I recognised who he was.
19. @TehnDiamond
@TehnDiamond got in touch via twitter and we linked up at the National Gallery. I am always a bit weary of meeting celebs, but @TehnDiamond was so passionate about his art and his vision it was infectious.
20. @iAmSoph_Mich
Met @iAmSoph_Mich when we delivered some sample POVO Journals as we wanted her to contribute to the journal.
21. @sindisonyoni
It was such an honour to meet up with sindiso, a true inspiration who has taken his work the next level and constantly flies the flag of Zimbabwe in the creative arts.
There is a small group of twimbos I have seen from afar but haven’t had the pleasure of meeting @JoeBlack, @incrediblemU and @Demoyo, and following is a list of twimbos I would like to meet who include @dillionsphiri, @designartistic, @Ramirez, @Esquirre, @ConorWalsh, @Zimcricket, @zimleague @ProfjMoyo @madube, @dubbydacious @rokizw, @davidzinyama and the most intriguing of these is @CynikHarare
If I became the president I would recruit twimbos and put them in influential ministries and mandate them to implement what we have been talking about on that platform. I have hope for Zimbabwe because there is a generation of young people who seem genuinely concerned about the country. Thanks to the performance of the current government, I am confident we can do a better job.
