Zimbabwe's Strongman Federation honors athlete as Africa's strongest woman

Zimbabwe's Strongman Federation honors athlete as Africa's strongest woman

Chido Maenzanise is a prominent Zimbabwean female powerlifting star known as Africa's Strongest Woman. At 29 years old, she has earned an impressive 28 medals, including 8 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronzes on national and regional stages. She started powerlifting after being teased for her muscular build growing up in the Highfield suburb of Harare and found her passion through a local fitness club. Coached by Bla Ganza and later guided by Zimbabwe's powerlifting chairman Moses Nyamhotsi ("Black Moses"), she quickly rose to prominence by setting national records and winning gold in her first national competition in 2020. Maenzanise stands out as one of the few female powerlifters in Zimbabwe, where the sport is not very common due to high costs of hosting competitions. Her achievements include winning South Africa's Strongest competition in Durban in 2025 and consistently inspiring other women to take up powerlifting. Despite facing societal skepticism due to traditional gender roles and physical appearance, she emphasizes that strength does not diminish her femininity or her roles outside the sport. Her perseverance and success have made her a role model for younger girls aspiring to pursue powerlifting and fitness careers. Chido Maenzanise was crowned Africa's Strongest Woman at the East-Rand Strongest Competitions in South Africa on Saturday, October 25, 2025. She competed in the open category against twelve other athletes and emerged victorious. She demonstrated her strength in disciplines such as the deadlift, vehicle push, circus barbell lift, stone lift, and log ladder. Maenzanise proudly represented Zimbabwe as the only Black competitor and dedicated her victory to her country. This success secured her a place at the World's Strongest Competitions and solidified her reputation as one of Africa's leading strongwomen. "If I can conquer Africa, then I know I can succeed internationally. I'm ready to train even harder and make Zimbabwe proud," a local news portal quoted Maenzanise as saying. The athlete will represent Zimbabwe at the World's Strongest Competition in the USA against the world's best athletes, Zimbabwean media reported. @https://zimbabwenow.co.zw/articles/14411/maenzanise-wins-gold-in-south-africa @https://iharare.com/zimbabwean-strongwoman-chido-maenzanise-crowned-africas-strongest/