Finding out about interesting events happening nearby often depends on chance. A concert flyer shared in a WhatsApp group, a poster pinned to a noticeboard, a church announcement, or a recommendation from a friend may be the only way someone learns about an activity taking place in their community.
While social media has made information more accessible, local events and gatherings remain scattered across multiple platforms, making discovery difficult for many people.
Seeking to bridge that gap, Zimbabwean startup ActivitIA has launched a platform designed to help people discover, share, organise and participate in real-world activities taking place around them.
Founded in 2025 by entrepreneur Munyaradzi Madziwa, the platform aims to bring together everything from sports and music events to church programmes, food experiences, wellness sessions, school activities, family outings, community gatherings and informal social plans into a single digital ecosystem.
The startup is positioning itself as more than a traditional event-listing platform. Instead, it seeks to become what its founder describes as “a social layer around real-life activity,” enabling users not only to discover events but also to connect with organisers, join conversations, invite friends and build communities around shared interests.
What is ActivitIA and What Does It Do?
At its core, ActivitIA serves as a digital hub for activities happening within local communities. Rather than limiting itself to ticketed concerts or corporate events, the platform accommodates virtually every type of real-life activity people participate in daily.
Users can browse activities taking place near them, open dedicated activity pages, follow organisers, share events with others, invite friends to participate, join discussions and even find companions to attend activities together.
According to founder Munyaradzi Madziwa, the company’s vision extends beyond event discovery.
“We see ActivitIA not only as an events app, but as a social layer around real-life activity.”
That broader ambition reflects the company’s focus on fostering human connections through physical experiences rather than simply listing events on a calendar.
How the Platform Works
One of ActivitIA’s defining features is its open contribution model. Instead of relying solely on organisers to upload their own events, the platform allows virtually anyone to post an activity or upload a promotional poster they encounter within their community.
Once an activity has been uploaded, the legitimate organiser can claim ownership of the listing, update inaccurate information, manage the activity page, communicate with prospective attendees and grow an audience directly through the platform.
“Anyone can post an activity or upload a poster where they are. The rightful organiser or owner can then claim the activity, correct details, manage the page and grow their audience,” said Madziwa.
He noted that the model mirrors how activities already spread organically across many African communities through posters, WhatsApp flyers, churches, schools, food outlets, community groups and personal recommendations.
Solving a Long-Standing Discovery Problem
According to the startup, one of the biggest challenges facing local communities is not the absence of activities but the difficulty of discovering them.
Many interesting events remain invisible to potential participants because information is fragmented across multiple communication channels.
As Madziwa explained, “Real-life activities are everywhere, but discovery is fragmented.”
He observed that many people frequently miss events because they either never come across promotional materials, see them after the activity has already taken place, are unsure whether the event is relevant to them, or simply have no one to attend with.
ActivitIA seeks to address these challenges by creating a central platform where activities become searchable, shareable and easier to access.
How Existing Platforms Leave a Gap
Although platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google Maps and online ticketing services already play important roles in promoting events, ActivitIA believes each solves only part of the broader discovery challenge.
According to the company, social media posts often disappear quickly within constantly updating feeds, while WhatsApp remains effective primarily for private sharing rather than public discovery.
Similarly, Google Maps focuses on physical locations instead of ongoing community activities, and many ticketing platforms prioritise formal paid events over recurring neighbourhood gatherings, school programmes or church activities.
By bringing together event discovery, organiser pages, conversations, posters and community participation in one place, ActivitIA hopes to offer a more complete solution tailored to African communities.
Early Growth and Expansion Plans
The startup is currently funded by its founder and has already begun attracting attention from users and organisers who recognise the need for a more unified activity discovery platform.
“The platform is live and we are seeing growing interest from users, organisers and ecosystem actors who immediately understand the problem,” the founder expressed.
He added that organisers appreciate the ability to transform traditional posters into searchable digital activity pages that can reach wider audiences.
For now, ActivitIA is concentrating on building momentum within Zimbabwe, beginning with Harare before expanding into other major cities, including Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Gweru, Mutare and Masvingo.
Looking ahead, the startup sees opportunities beyond Zimbabwe, arguing that similar challenges exist across many African cities where community life is still organised largely through informal networks, religious institutions, schools, neighbourhood venues and word-of-mouth communication.
“Our immediate plan is to deepen Zimbabwe first, improve the product, grow activity density, support organisers, and then expand into similar African markets,” Madziwa said.
Why This Matters
Unlike many digital platforms that prioritise early monetisation, ActivitIA is currently free for both users and organisers.
The company says its immediate objective is to increase user adoption, encourage more organisers to join the platform and build trust within communities before introducing paid services.
“Our future revenue model is likely to include paid activity promotion, sponsored discovery, enhanced organiser visibility, venue and organiser tools, and small-business features that help activity owners reach the right audiences,” Madziwa explained.
This approach, he said, is intended to ensure that discovering activities remains accessible to everyone while allowing organisers to purchase optional tools that improve visibility and audience engagement.
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