Born Genesis Gabriella Tina Manney, the versatile singer and songwriter said her visit was about paying homage to her grandfathers, since her parents are Zimbabwean.
She will be performing in Harare on April 22 and Bulawayo on April 23.
“I was born in South Africa, but my parents are from Zimbabwe and my visit and performance in Zimbabwe is about uniting us.
“It is also about paying homage to my great grandfather, Fiva, who was originally from Zimbabwe.
“I hope to make it an annual event and I will also run an upcoming artistes’ competition with #GigiInZim for young hopefuls to be able to perform alongside me on both days,” she said.
Gigi said this was her first time to perform in Zimbabwe.
“I visit Zimbabwe once a year to visit family, but this is the first time I am performing there. I am performing both in Harare and Bulawayo. I will be delivering my old and new songs at the show.
“My latest song Mashonisa (featuring Makhadzi and Busiswa) is doing well.”
Her poetic skills were developed at the age of 11, having her first poem titled Valentines’ Day published by the Poetry Institute of Africa, under the Anthology-Fairytale moon.
ALSO READ:
PATHETIC JOE FLOPS. . . Jah Prayzah steals the show
She later developed her unique writing skills into rap, at the age of 16.
“I drew my inspiration from the likes of Jean Grae, Bob Marley, Brenda Fassie and Tupac Shakur.
“My talent was identified at an exchange programme in the UK, under the Richard Branson Scholarship programme, at Stowe School Buckingham, where my performance earned me the runner-up position.”
The rapper boasts of chart-topping singles such as 1 Bar, Ice Cream and Lobola and her highly-acclaimed collaboration with the third largest sportswear brand, Puma.
The Ice Cream hit maker also released a single Iphupho, which debuted on Metro FM, in 2018.
In May 2019, Gigi was officially labelled the first female artist to put together and execute a hip hop one-woman show on the African continent where a crowd, close to 5000 people, attended at Elkah Stadium in Soweto.
In the year 2013, Gigi won the Best Female, Best Newcomer and Mixtape of the Year, at the SA Hip Hop Awards.
In 2014, she won again the Best Female Award.
In 2016, she won Rising Star at the Women, Real Architects of Society Awards and Mixtape of the Year at the SA Hip Hop Awards.
In 2021, she won the Inspirational Trailblazer Award, at the Gauteng Women of Wonder Awards.