Saintfloew’s career is showing signs of losing the momentum that once made him one of the most visible young names in Zimbabwean hip-hop, with the rapper struggling to replicate his commercial pull since the closure of the Nash Paints entertainment division.

The December 2025 shutdown of NashTV and the wider Nash Holdings entertainment division ended a powerful chapter in Saintfloew’s career, forcing the musician to operate without the promotional machinery and financial backing that had helped build his profile.

The difference is increasingly visible in his music numbers, live performances and presence on the entertainment circuit.

During his Nash Paints days, a new Saintfloew release could reportedly surpass 500,000 views within two days.

His post-Nash release, Gucci and Dior Felt, however, reportedly managed about 78,000 views in 10 days, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining the same level of audience attention without the platform that previously amplified his music.

Tinotenda Banda said the rapper’s current position showed the importance of Mutarisi’s backing to his career.

“Saintfloew needs Tinashe Mutarisi if we're to be honest,” Banda said.

Mutarisi closed Nash Holdings’ entertainment division on December 9, 2025, citing financial losses, damage to his reputation and a belief that the operation had nothing new to offer.

The decision affected Saintfloew, Nisha Ts, Ninety6 and Raymer.

Mutarisi, however, said the artists had been prepared for life outside the stable.

“I have developed strong brands and throughout the years of working with them, I have taught them to stand on their own,” he said.

Saintfloew has attempted to prove that independence can work, releasing his Gunda album in December 2025 before following it with Still Gunda in 2026.

He also secured a distribution deal with Virgin Music Group South Africa in September 2024, giving him an avenue to extend his music beyond Zimbabwe.

But his music output has not yet translated into the same commercial visibility associated with his Nash Paints peak.

His December 2025 concert at City Sports Centre became another difficult moment.

The show coincided with Jah Prayzah’s sold-out performance at the Harare International Conference Centre, leaving Saintfloew’s venue largely empty, with attendees describing the atmosphere as eerie and deflating.

The rapper’s appearance fees have also reportedly fallen from the levels associated with his peak, adding another measure of the commercial pressure facing his career.

The decline has been accompanied by a change in the language surrounding his brand.

The once-dominant “Ziva Tinashe ndo Mutarisi” catchphrase, which became closely associated with his Nash Paints era, has now faded from mainstream entertainment conversations.

The four artists who were under the Nash Paints stable have also followed different paths since the shutdown, with Nisha Ts standing out as the one who has maintained a consistent presence on major show posters and in mainstream entertainment conversations.

The contrast has fuelled debate among fans over the extent to which Nash Paints built the artists’ brands and whether the musicians were adequately positioned to maintain that momentum independently.

Some fans have argued that Mutarisi exploited talents and built brands, leaving those under his wing stranded, while others have pointed to the responsibility of artists to sustain their careers after leaving a label.

Saintfloew has also remained under personal scrutiny following allegations made in 2026 by social media personality Nobesuthu Vanessa regarding alleged drug and alcohol abuse.

The allegations remain unproven. Saintfloew had previously spoken publicly about addiction in 2023 and underwent rehabilitation in South Africa, which was funded by Mutarisi.

The renewed scrutiny has nevertheless added pressure to a career already struggling to reproduce its previous momentum.

The weaker streaming numbers, poorly attended City Sports Centre show, reduced visibility on major line-ups and disappearance of the once-ubiquitous Mutarisi catchphrase point to an artist whose brand has lost some of the force it once carried.

Saintfloew’s challenge is no longer simply releasing another album. It is rebuilding the audience, commercial demand and cultural relevance that once made his name difficult to ignore.

The “Ziva Tinashe ndo Mutarisi” era has faded, and among the former Nash Paints artists, Nisha Ts is currently the clearest example of one who has managed to keep the spotlight.