NEFCISA
NEFCISA

The Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) is proud of its partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) as a Strategic Implementing Partner (SIP) for its Social Employment Fund (SEF). Through this collaboration, MIAF is running a national programme that is creating jobs, addressing skills gaps, and strengthening South Africa's creative industries — in line with the SEF's overarching goal to generate work for the common good and build community value through employment, social contribution, and inclusive economic participation. Operating under the banner NEFCISA (National Employment Facility for Creative Industries in South Africa), the initiative is recruiting and training participants, matching them with host organisations, and has already placed 1 500 workers across the country — surpassing its original target of 1 000. NEFCISA is delivered through a network of 20 host organisations spanning five provinces, who are actively hosting participants and contributing to work for the common good across South Africa's creative and cultural industries. Key Objectives: Support employment and entrepreneurship in the creative industries. Offer skills development and training programmes. Foster partnerships between public and private creative sectors. Promote South African creativity at both provincial and national levels Foster community development through social contribution.

ACCES
ACCES

ACCES Conference and Showcase Festival is Africa's leading music industry gathering, bringing together the people shaping the future of the continent's music business. Artists, entrepreneurs, executives, investors, policymakers and cultural leaders from across Africa and around the world come to ACCES to build partnerships, exchange ideas, discover talent and create new business opportunities. Since its launch in 2017, ACCES has become the continent's premier platform for professional exchange and music market development. Combining a high-level conference with a curated showcase festival, networking, exhibitions and industry programmes, ACCES offers a unique space where creativity meets business and where African music connects with the global industry.

Gender@Work
Gender@Work

Music In Africa Gender @ Work is a three-year training programme aimed at upskilling and increasing the participation of female professionals in the African music sector. Launched by the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) in April 2019, the programme is connected to the MIAF’s ACCES music conference – a pan-African event held in a different African country every year. This connection enables the programme to reach new participants in a different African country every year. The programme marks the beginning of a more concerted effort by the Foundation to support the participation and inclusion of women in all facets of its programmes and the music sector in Africa as a whole. Over the three years, the programme will aim to address gender imbalances in the sector through training, lobbying, facilitating knowledge exchange and dialogues that foster the interest of women. The broader objectives of the programme are to: Provide industry training for women on critical music industry skills, focusing on: Stage management Electronic music production and recording Music business management Technical knowledge Provide an opportunity for both professional and aspiring women to benefit from the Music In Africa network and its broad range of activities in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Provide a solution-based platform in the form of a round table at ACCES with a view to identify challenges, discuss opportunities and lobby for the interests of female practitioners. Offer participants the opportunity to benefit from programmes offered by MIAF’s partners. Increase access to educational materials. Integrate participants in the broader ACCES programme to maximise experience and exposure to the industry. Record and present training materials on the www.musicinafrica.net, including but not limited to tutorials, templates and other best-practice materials. Communicate women-based themes that support the initiatives and messages of the programme. MAIN TRAINING ACTIVITIES Training in first country (Ghana): In the first year, participants will be trained on all aspects of stage management by a team of experienced stage managers from 10 to 17 November 2019. The programme will offer robust classroom training as well as practical, hands-on training in which participants will also be given the opportunity to manage various aspects of the ACCES performance programme. Training in second country: The second training iteration will take place at ACCES 2020 when the programme will diversify its course to include music production lessons and training on other music business topics. A round-table platform will also be introduced to coincide with the ACCES programme. Training in third country: The third training iteration will take place at ACCES 2021 in a different country, offering an advanced course. HOW DO YOU GET INVOLVED?  As a participant, facilitator or trainer: The programme enrolls up to 12 trainees every year. All opportunities are advertised publicly on this website, and will be added to this page. Please keep checking this page for new calls (below under UPDATES & CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES). As a partner Please contact Claire Metais at [email protected]. APPLY The call for applications for 2020 will be announced soon. The Music In Africa Gender @ Work programme is made possible with the support of the Prince Claus Fund, Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institut.

Sound Connects Fund
Sound Connects Fund

For cultural and creative practitioners and organisations operating in southern Africa, access to funding remains a major challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a massive impact on government policy, spending and the economy in general, and has seen spending on culture being moved further down the list of priorities. Further, the cultural and creative industries repeatedly cite four main areas where investment is needed for growth, which are increased visibility, mobility including access to new markets, finance and support structures.

Instrument Building And Repair Project
Instrument Building And Repair Project

Experience the Vibrations African Instruments Exhibition online in 3D

Home / Advokate I Music
banner image

Advokate I Music

flag-img

Kwekwe, Zimbabwe

In operation since:

2021

Contact person:

Advokate I Music

BIO

ARTIST PROFILE - ADVOKATE I

1. BACKGROUND
Advokate I is a recording and performing reggae musician, singer/ songwriter and an award nominee under the Best New African Act category at UMP music awards (2025). He was born Gabriel Muchanyu in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on the 22nd of May 1995. In the early 2000s his family relocated to Torwood a small mining town in Kwekwe in the Midlands province. He did his primary and secondary school at George Hill and Batanai (ZISCO) High school respectively. Advokate I is a Self-proclaimed People's advocate for social change, he uses his music and platform to promote not only love, tranquility and togetherness but justice, equality and accountability within societies.

2. THE BEGINNING
He never thought of becoming a musician one day, it all started in 2011. He has always loved reggae/ dancehall since he was exposed to more of it growing up. The love for doing music developed after watching a group of fellow students performing on a school prize giving day. He later on found himself searching for rythm tracks/ instrumental beats which were scarce by the time. He wrote his first song using self knowledge and boom the journey started. He recorded his first demo in 2011/12 using a phone while playing the instrumental beat on the other phone.

3. EARLY MUSIC DAYS & EXPERIENCES
His first proper studio experience was at Manix Bros Studios in 2014. Since then he's been involved in musical activities which saw him sharing the stage with the legendary Zigzag Band of Chigiyo music from Kwekwe, Zimbabwe. His professional music career started in 2020, that was after he met Don Franco Tafari (online) who helped him on establishing himself as a professional. That same year he met R. Shumba of Shumba Productions who helped him with branding and more.

4. DISCOGRAPHY
• Royal Devotion (EP) 2021
• Heart And Soul (EP) 2022
• I Have Been There (single) 2023

5. NEW PROJECTS
• The Revelation Album (2025)
• Assurance ft Sally 8N (2025)

6. INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
• Dzokorora ft Tai Tan Ug (Uganda)
• Zvinodhaka ft Chantty Natural (Botswana)
• Highlife ft Njoza KeProblem (South Africa)

7. PERFOMANCES
• UMP Festival (2025), Malawi
https://youtu.be/c_OfWZMpKgQ?si=KALgRZpFptpKAfLS

• Kwekwe Festival (2025), Zimbabwe
https://youtu.be/KeUgGN4Xyho?si=S1ivJqvA7AAk331e
• Kwekwe High School Talent Show
https://youtu.be/VA66FkgxPxI?si=I5R8hIwWLSW5nE-o
• Mayor's Challenge Cup, Zimbabwe
https://youtu.be/4BxPmQSPUkI?si=X8EsR1qk4QN6OSrv

8) INTERVIEWS
i) TV
• Soweto TV (2022), African Playlist, Ras Sipho Mantula
• Tagy TV, Reggae and Dancehall show, Omusawo Tintah

ii) RADIO
• Sajonisi Youth Radio, South Africa
https://youtu.be/Lz5wolFPEhc?si=Fh1ebX2aLbQZEv8w
• Kasupe Radio, Malawi
https://youtu.be/dyBp3S9GBXU?si=ObKbOq37kH4m8QoE
• Tshwane FM, South Africa
https://youtu.be/LH6Pnuvki18?si=JJwOPKKHZuiMLZIk

iii) NEWSPAPER/ MAGAZINES/ BLOGS
• Gillaz Mann GT, Phreshy hails Advokate I for bravery acts - The Standard https://share.google/LOQDO8m7caLoM8cM9
• Advokate I release debut album a decade after launching his musical career - The Standard https://share.google/bjWwHlpLrzPxuLtHE
• New offering from Advokate I – The Midlands Observer https://share.google/0J6TNkNDbtbN82Tlu
• My Unforgettable Journey to the UMP Festival in Malawi - My Afrika Magazine https://share.google/VY02WTTmnftYHclOg

9. ACCOLADES/ RECOGNITION
• Best New African Act Nominee,UMP music awards (Malawi) 2025
• Up and Down (music video) got powered by Reggaeville, Europe
• I Have Been There, a song which narrates Advokate I story about injustice made it to World A Reggae magazine.

10. CONTACTS
• [email protected]/ [email protected]
• +26378 454 2028

NB: ABOUT BOOKINGS/ OTHER ENQUIRIES
You can book Advokate I for music collaborations, brand partnerships, endorsement deals and entertainment purposes with or without a band. Terms and conditions applying.

We've a diverse catalogue to cater for different types of events, from social to corporate events.

Looking forward to doing business with you.

Photos

Social Networks and Websites

Profile Contributions

Articles Contributions

Disclaimer: Music In Africa provides a platform for musicians and contributors to embed music and videos solely for promotional purposes. If any track or video embedded on this platform violates any copyrights please inform us immediately and we will take it down. Please read our Terms of Use for more.

newsletter banner

Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter

Follow us on social media