MANKIND QUARTERLY 2023 63:4 636-655 636 “Wanondishuwira hupenyu hunokunda hwawo.” The Financial Plight of Zimbabwean Popular Musicians Albert Nyathi and Wonder Maguraushe* Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe *Correspondence: wondermaguraushe@gmail.com Some famous musicians in post-independence Zimbabwe have not realized enough finances to sustain their livelihoods. There are numerous press reports, but this subject has received little academic attention. This tends to blur the economic reality of Zimbabwe’s music industry. In this qualitative study we conduct participant observation, open-ended interviews, and document analysis to uncover the financial experiences of purposively selected Zimbabwean famous musicians. The study gathers views on why some of them face financial difficulties despite their rise to fame. The study reveals that the financial status of the popular musicians is bedeviled by a fledgling economy, exploitative contracts, exploitation by businesspeople, unprofessional conduct of business, copyright violations, and relative absence from the digital platform. There is a glaring need to improve the popular musicians’ welfare through professional conduct of business, as well as having life and health insurance schemes that can cushion them in the future when they are no longer churning out hit songs. Keywords: Album sales, Financial plight, Piracy, Popular musicians, Professionalism, Zimbabwe, Music industry This paper explores the economic situation of Zimbabwean popular musicians some of whom have lived on meagre resources despite their fame. Former Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart (VOA Zimbabwe Reporter, 2011) observed that a notable number of musicians in the country are unable to weave a rich financial tapestry due to a plethora of challenges bedeviling both the musicians themselves and the national economy. Former Information Minister Webster Shamu (Herald Reporter, 2012) said musicians’ families are wallowing in poverty whilst pirates benefit from their music. Musicians are judged by what happens on the social scene, but the economic environment plays an equally important role. Against this background, the paper shows that