From studying accounting and considering flight school to establishing ZahMaz Makeup and Beauty, Zimbabwean born Zanele Tutani Mazarura has built a career in beauty and entertainment through passion, skill and professional dedication.

BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA — Zanele Tutani Mazarura might have pursued a career in accounting or aviation. Instead, an unexpected interest in makeup redirected her path.

Having studied accounting and considered attending flight school, the Zimbabwean-born creative discovered something that captured her imagination: the artistry of beauty.

It was not a fallback career. Curious by nature, she explored makeup, discovered an aptitude for it and chose to develop that interest into a profession.

Years later, the woman whose journey began with a makeup brush in a salon has worked across beauty, entertainment and fashion, culminating in her appointment as Creative Director for Backstage, Makeup and Hair at Free State Fashion Week in Bloemfontein.

Her story is one of passion supported by vision, professional training and a commitment to excellence.

For Mazarura, entering the beauty industry meant pursuing a creative interest outside her original academic plans. She went on to undertake formal makeup training and establish ZahMaz Makeup and Beauty, building a business around the skills she had developed.

A December 2019 profile in Zimbabwe’s The Standard described her as a qualified makeup artist who had established ZahMaz approximately two years earlier and was serving clients in both Zimbabwe and South Africa. Her services included bridal, professional and cultural makeup, demonstrating the range of opportunities she was beginning to explore. But her interests extended beyond traditional beauty services.

The same profile highlighted her ambitions and involvement in the wider entertainment industry, where makeup plays an important role in television, film and fashion. What began as a personal fascination had become an enterprise through which she could develop her artistic abilities, establish professional relationships and reach new clients.

The move from a salon chair to a television set demands a different kind of precision. In television and film, makeup must respond to lighting, camera equipment, continuity and the visual requirements of each production. Advertising brings additional demands, with the artist’s work contributing to how a product, personality or brand is presented. Mazarura’s career has grown into these creative environments. Her earlier professional associations included television producer Monalisa Chisango and television personality Rebecca Kano, as reported in the 2019 profile.

More recently, her makeup work has also been credited in connection with a Netflix-branded event. A social-media caption attributed to South African actress Sthandile Nkosi, reproduced by entertainment website Gethu Cinema in 2024, credited Mazarura for her makeup at Netflix’s Out of Office event. Although this was an event assignment rather than a confirmed Netflix screen-production credit, it offers a specific example of her work within South Africa’s entertainment and celebrity environment. Such assignments require artists to respond to different clients, occasions and creative expectations while maintaining professional standards. For Mazarura, these experiences have expanded the reach of a craft that began with individual beauty services.

Her appointment at Free State Fashion Week marked another important development. South African broadcaster Metro FM identified her as Creative Director for Backstage, Makeup and Hair, a role extending beyond the application of makeup to the wider creative and organisational responsibilities of backstage production.

Fashion Week brings together designers, models, stylists, hair professionals and makeup artists, whose contributions must form a coordinated presentation. Behind each runway appearance is a demanding process of preparation, communication and teamwork. Creative leadership within this environment requires an understanding of the intended looks, the work of different specialists and the practical demands of presenting a collection. For Mazarura, it was an opportunity to apply her accumulated experience in a position carrying broader creative responsibility.

Her contribution attracted media attention when Metro FM presenter Mpumi Mlambo interviewed her during the event for The Encore, discussing the preparation and creativity involved backstage. In a Facebook post, Mazarura used a shorter description of her appointment, referring to herself as: “this year’s Creative Director for Hair and Makeup for the Free State Fashion Week”

She described the experience as: “definitely one for the books!” And concluded: “I absolutely love what I do, what a time we had!” The excitement in those words is unmistakable. Equally significant, however, is the professional progression that brought her to that position.

Makeup artistry is a creative discipline, but building a lasting career around it demands far more than natural ability. Technical knowledge, consistency, reliability, business management and the ability to work with others all contribute to professional success. Mazarura’s development from a salon-based practitioner to business owner and creative leader reflects the growing responsibilities that can accompany mastery of a specialised craft.

Her experience also demonstrates that professional excellence need not be celebrated only through stories of adversity. Sometimes, the achievement lies in recognising one’s abilities, making deliberate choices and developing a standard of work that earns greater opportunities. Mazarura’s career is worth celebrating not merely for the positions she has held, but for the commitment behind them. Her passion for beauty gave her a direction. Her decision to train, practise and build a business gave that passion professional substance.

Mazarura’s journey also reflects the contribution of Zimbabwean creative professionals working across African markets. Through ZahMaz Makeup and Beauty and her engagements in South Africa’s entertainment and fashion industries, she has developed a career that crosses both geographical and professional boundaries. Her appointment at Free State Fashion Week illustrates the possibilities available when specialist creative skills are developed into wider professional responsibilities.

For a woman who once considered accounting and aviation, it is an achievement that brings her journey into sharp focus. From the salon chair to screen-related and event assignments, and ultimately backstage creative leadership, Mazarura has followed an interest she chose to take seriously. Passion may reveal what we love doing; the pursuit of excellence determines how far it can take us.