Tanzanian songbird Zuhura Othman Soud, famously known as Zuchu, has set social media ablaze after publicly calling out Leap Creative Studio for allegedly withholding her payment—despite her breathtaking performance at the CHAN 2024 closing ceremony in Nairobi.
On August 30, the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, roared with life as Zuchu shared the stage with Kenya’s Savara and Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo, delivering a performance that electrified thousands before the epic Morocco vs. Madagascar finale. Morocco may have lifted the trophy, but for many, it was Zuchu who stole the night.
Yet, behind the dazzling lights and roaring cheers, Zuchu says she walked away unpaid. In a fiery Instagram outburst, she wrote:
“I work tirelessly and hard. Kindly respect my hard work. Pay the balance @leapcreativestudio.”
The singer didn’t stop there. She revealed that Savara, too, was yet to receive his dues, with his management reportedly reaching out to her in frustration.
“You haven’t even paid @savarafrica, his manager just contacted me right now,” she lamented.
Taking her fight further, Zuchu rallied her fans to hold CAF accountable and push for an end to partnerships with the agency she accused of silencing critics online.
“Go at CAF’s page, tell them #LeapCreativeAgency are scammers. Please drop them as your agency,” she urged, urging fans to flood CAF’s social pages with comments.
As of now, neither CAF nor Leap Creative Studio has responded to the storm. But Zuchu’s bold stand has ignited a bigger conversation: why are African artists still fighting for fair pay on the continent’s grandest stages?
Her defiance has turned a personal battle into a rallying cry for accountability, shining a harsh spotlight on the darker side of showbiz contracts that too often leave performers shortchanged.
