Zimbabwean football administrator Rumbidzai Muyambuki has been honoured at the Global Impact Leaders Summit & Awards 2026, in a major recognition of her growing influence in football leadership and her advocacy for women’s participation in the sport.

Muyambuki received the accolade at the prestigious event held in Cape Town on August 29, where the summit also featured honourees for the Global Women in Leadership Awards.

For the Ngezi Platinum Stars executive member and Northern Region Division One League board member, the recognition represents more than a personal achievement. She sees it as a reflection of the work being done by women in Zimbabwean communities and football administration.

“I am deeply humbled and honoured. To stand on that stage in Cape Town and represent Zimbabwe is a privilege I do not take lightly,” Muyambuki said.

“Bringing this accolade back home means that the hard work, the late nights and the service happening in our communities are being seen.”

Muyambuki said the award was not solely about her, but about the people and institutions that have supported her journey.

“For me, this award is not about me alone. It’s proof that when you lead with understanding before being understood, with curiosity and humility, success follows,” she said.

“It means that a girl from Zimbabwe can dream, work and be recognised on a global stage. I dedicate this to my country, my team, my mentors and my family. Without their guidance, I would not be here.”

Her latest achievement adds another chapter to a football journey built on resilience, determination and a refusal to accept that leadership in the game is reserved for men.

Muyambuki began her professional career as a teacher, working in the education sector from 2009 to 2014. Her passion for sport, however, saw her take on additional responsibilities as Sports Director for Chigutu District, where she oversaw primary school competitions and grassroots development programmes.

In 2014, she moved to Regis Bridge Private School in Ngezi after being appointed School Director. It was there that she began making her mark in grassroots football.

Between 2015 and 2016, Muyambuki became the first woman at the school to introduce structured grassroots football, with some of the matches attracting live coverage on SuperSport.

“That was the moment Ngezi started to identify me,” she recalled. “People began to see that I was not just supporting football — I understood it.”

Her growing involvement in the game eventually opened the door to Ngezi Platinum Stars.

In 2017, she officially joined the club, stepping into an environment that had traditionally been dominated by men. Armed with Level Two coaching qualifications and refereeing credentials, she quickly established herself as someone who understood the game and could contribute beyond the sidelines.

“They told me, ‘At Ngezi, we are just men and we don’t know football properly. Since you watch and understand football, come and help us,’” Muyambuki said.

She has remained part of the Ngezi Platinum Stars setup from 2017 to date, steadily rising through the football administration ranks.

Her football journey later expanded beyond Zimbabwe. In 2023, she was invited to attend the Benford World Football Summit, an experience that prompted her to reassess her own potential.

“That’s where I realised I had been underestimating myself,” she said. “I saw that there is real potential in me, and that I needed to push further.”

She subsequently attended the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan in Istanbul, Turkey, as a guest of honour, an experience she says fundamentally changed her outlook on football leadership.

“It was overwhelming and inspiring,” she said. “What I saw there changed my mindset completely. I made friends, I networked, and I understood that football leadership has no gender.”

Her international football exposure continued in 2024 when she travelled to Spain, visiting Sevilla, Barcelona and Madrid and further expanding her football network.

That experience eventually gave her the confidence to enter football politics.

Muyambuki contested the ZIFA Northern Region elections, becoming the first woman to enter the race against a field dominated by male candidates.

The campaign tested her physically and emotionally, with the administrator recalling working late into the night and making calls at midnight as she pushed for support.

“It was not easy,” she said. “I was making calls at midnight, working through the night, and the pressure almost broke me. Yesterday, I honestly felt like I would end up in hospital.”

Despite the challenges, Muyambuki finished second with 11 votes, just three votes behind the eventual winner.

“When I woke up on the final day, I told myself, ‘I’ve made it.’ Out of nine men, I came second. I thank God because, to me, I am a winner,” she said.

Her growing influence had already been recognised in Zimbabwe. In 2024, she received the Outstanding Leadership Qualities in Sport Award at the Zimbabwe Integrated Traders Association Congress and Business Awards.

The latest international honour, however, has given her an even larger platform to speak about the role of women in Zimbabwean football.

Muyambuki believes her recognition should encourage football institutions to create more opportunities for women to participate in decision-making.

“This award shines a light on women in Zimbabwean football. For too long, our voices have been in the room but not always heard,” she said.

“At Ngezi Platinum Stars and on the Northern Region Division One League board, we are proving every day that women can lead with strategy, with care and with results.”

She challenged football institutions to move beyond simply acknowledging women’s contributions and instead give them meaningful leadership opportunities.

“This recognition tells other institutions, put women in decision-making spaces. We will deliver,” she said.

For young women aspiring to build careers in sport, Muyambuki’s message is simple: start, learn and refuse to wait for permission.

“To every young Zimbabwean woman watching: start where you are, with what you have. Lead with integrity. Listen first. Ask better questions. Stay curious and stay willing to learn,” she said.

“Don’t wait for permission. Don’t fight tomorrow’s battles with today’s energy.”

Muyambuki said she wants young Zimbabwean women to see themselves not only as participants in sport but also as future administrators, club executives and decision-makers.

“I want you to believe that it is possible. Possible to be on a football board. Possible to run a club. Possible to represent Zimbabwe and bring an award home,” she said.

“If I can, you can, and you will go even further. We need your voice, your ideas and your leadership in sport. The future of Zimbabwean football needs you.”