By Tendai Chisiri
HARARE – Super Size Me Africa Zimbabwe (SSMAZ) has marked its first anniversary with the announcement of a high-end picnic and marketplace event set for Saturday, 23 May 2026, at Kwasahwira in Waterfalls, Harare.
The announcement was made by Founder and Executive Director Alice Chinya during a press briefing held yesterday at I Love Mbare. The event will be held under the theme “365 Days of Bold, Beautiful & Majestic.”
SSMAZ, a plus-size safe community and advocacy organization, launched on 24 May 2025 to challenge size-based discrimination and promote body equity in Zimbabwe. Chinya said the movement was born from her personal experience as a plus-size woman facing stigma and exclusion.
“I created SSMAZ to turn our collective pain into unshakeable power, confidence, and celebration,” Chinya told reporters. “We are here to champion high-end representation, fight size-based discrimination, and create real, measurable economic opportunities for our community across all sectors.”
The organization operates through 10 strategic pillars spanning technology, mining, health and wellness, trade and finance, arts and culture, education, tourism, agriculture, legal and social advocacy, and infrastructure. Over the past year, SSMAZ says all pillars have been active, driving health awareness, trade opportunities, creative empowerment, and legal advocacy.
A key milestone was the launch of the male wing, Super Size Men Zimbabwe (SSMZ), to address the unique challenges faced by plus-size men.
Gwyneth Nyasha Mazinefu, Leader of the Trade and Entrepreneurship pillar, said the movement offers a support system for people who gained weight due to health or mental health challenges.
“Some are not big by choice but are big by circumstances. In our movement, we give everyone positive vibes. They are others who are in shells. We are now saying, come out of those shells,” she said on the sidelines of the briefing.
The anniversary event will feature the SSMAZ Marketplace, designed as an economic launchpad for plus-size entrepreneurs and vendors in fashion, lifestyle, food and drinks.
“We are putting financial power directly into the hands of our community,” Chinya said.
The milestone comes after SSMAZ was selected as one of eight organizations across Africa to receive a full case-study spotlight in the Alliance for Women and Girls Grassroots Knowledge Playbook. The organization’s “Majestic Voices” campaign was recognized for its work in body positivity, economic inclusion, and grassroots advocacy.
“To be named as one of the final eight full spotlights across Africa is a massive validation of the vibrant energy, confidence, and strength of the plus-size community in Zimbabwe,” Chinya said. “We are no longer just building a movement; we are documenting African history.”
Looking ahead, SSMAZ outlined upcoming activities including a Founders Marathon on 25 July in Harare, a Bulawayo trip in August, workshops, team-building events, and the “KUMADHAFU” Festival scheduled for 26 December 2026 in Harare.
The organization called on media and the public to attend Saturday’s celebration at Kwasahwira.
“Come and witness the elegance, the economic power, and the unbreakable unity of the plus-size community in Zimbabwe,” Chinya said.
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