Hopewell Rugoho-Chin’ono is a Zimbabwean journalist and documentary filmmaker born on 26 March 1971 at Sally Mugabe Hospital in Harare.
Chin’ono studied for an HND in Mass Communications at the Zimbabwe Institute of Mass Communication, before joining Zimbabwe’s only TV station, ZBC as an intern in 1993.
In 1989 while still a student Hopewell was commissioned by Prize Beat Magazine to profile Jamaican reggae star Dennis Brown.
After studying for an MA in Radio Journalism at City University and an MA in Documentary Filmmaking at Brunel University in the UK, he worked as a freelance journalist for BBC.
In 2001 Hopewell changed his surname from Mukusha to Rugoho-Chin’ono at the request of his father to honor his grandfather. This led to the government withdrawing his journalism accreditation and the police trying to arrest him for using two names.
Chino’no has produced multiple documentaries and worked as a journalist for ITN, ITV News, ENCA, BBC, New York Times, and CNN resulting in numerous international awards.
He has been arrested multiple times for his anti-corruption investigative journalism including a 45-day stint in remand prison for endorsing a July 4 peaceful protect in 2020.
Chino’no is also an entrepreneur who has a bore goat farm at his rural home in Murehwa and once dabbled in selling cell phones sourced from the UK.
Hopewell Chin’ono a short biography
- Chino’no’s background
- Born at Sally Mugabe Hospital in Harare
- DOB 26 March 1971
- Boer goat farmer at his rural home in Murehwa
- Spent 45 days in remand prison after he endorsed the July 4 peaceful protest in 2020
- Arrested multiple times for his anti-corruption investigative journalism
- Chino’no’s education
- HND in Mass Communications (Zimbabwe Institute of Mass Communication, 1993)
- MA in Radio Journalism (City University)
- MA in Documentary Filmmaking (Brunel University, 2007)
- Chino’no’s work history (Career)
- Commissioned by Prize Beat Magazine to profile Jamaican reggae star Dennis Brown aged 18 in 1989
- Intern at ZBC (1993)
- Freelance radio producer at BBC
- Freelance correspondent for BBC in Zimbabwe from 2003
- Journalist at ITN (2008 – 2009)
- TV producer at ITV News (2008 – 2016)
- Foreign correspondent & producer for eNCA in Zimbabwe (2008 – 2014)
- Foreign Correspondent at the New York Times (2015 – 2017)
- Film producer for CNN
- Founder of Television International a production house in Zimbabwe
- Chin’ono’s Awards
- 2008 CNN African Journalist of the Year Award
- 2008 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow
- 2009 US Aid Communication Award
- 2009 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University
- Kaiser Family Foundation Award for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Reporting in Africa
- 2020 Greenfield People Journalist of the Year
- 2022 International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award
- Documentary films by Hopewell Chin’ono
- State of Mind (2018)
- Pain in My Heart (2007)
- Fearless: Beatrice Mtetwa & the Rule of Law
- A Violent Response
- Last White Man
- Inside Zimbabwe: Y Byd ar Bedwar
