If you think that fashion is a young man’s game, meet Campion Tichaona Jani (Mwendamberi weDrip), to see how wrong you are. And if you think Instagram is reserved for young people, you’re probably as dated as the social network was before it brought in Snapchat-style Stories.
Contrary to popular belief, social media isn’t just a playground for internet-obsessed millennials and Gen Z’ers; one of the best things about it is that it’s available for everyone – regardless of location, status or age. There’s a new type of influencer on the proverbial social media block – one that has more style and life inspiration than you can shake a walking stick at. Enter: the ‘granfluencer’. As in, grandparents or simply older people who are better at social media than you.
Mwendamberi, mudhara weDrip
Meet 82-year-old, Campion Matiyenga Jani from Mufakose, better known as ‘Mwendaz weDrip, who has taken social media by storm after youthful fashion sense and words of wisdom for younger generations. “Nowadays children have no respect for their elders and this is what we want to prevent. We want to teach them morals. It is not an overnight job, but eventually they will listen and we will get there,” he says. “If a python wants to catch a deer it changes its colour so that it looks like the deer so as to attract it, so am dressing like them so as to attract them and they become comfortable to talk to me.”
Mwendaz is living proof that style just gets better with age and that like them, you should be be completely unapologetic when it comes to showcasing your unique personalities and looks.
Early life
Mwendaz weDrip was born on November 28, 1938. He was an only child after his mother was divorced when he was young. Mwendaz weDrip’s mother left his father after the divorce, remarried and started a new family with another man.
Prior to him becoming a bus driver at Matambanadzo Bus Services, Mwendamberi worked as a casual worker at a clothing firm responsible for packing clothes. He later became a qualified bus driver in 1962.
As of July 2021, Mwendaz weDrip has 7 children and 21 grandchildren.
