ZARI HASSAN OPENS UP ABOUT LEAVING MUSIC AND HER MARRIAGE TO SHAKIB CHAM

Zari Hassan first gained fame as a musician, releasing several music videos that remain available on her YouTube channel. However, she eventually stepped away from music.

For the first time, the businesswoman and reality TV star has shared why she made that choice.

“I was managing the head office, overseeing the satellite campuses, raising my boys, and being someone’s ‘husband.’ At the same time, I had started a singing career, and I had to choose,” Zari explained.

She continued, “I had to drop singing and focus on the businesses and the children because it required a lot of traveling.”

Zari also revealed that she pursued music with hopes of transitioning into acting rather than out of a passion for singing.

At the time, she was in a relationship with the late Ugandan businessman Ivan Semwanga, with whom she had three sons. After their breakup, she later had two children with Tanzanian singer Diamond Platnumz.

MARRIAGE TO SHAKIB CHAM

In 2023, Zari married Ugandan businessman Shakib Cham in a private Nikkah ceremony, later holding a wedding reception with exclusive rights sold to Netflix.

Speaking to Mpasho’s Kalondu Musyimi, she explained why she chose Shakib as her husband.

“Of all the men I have been with, I chose to make it halal with Shakib because he is a very nice guy. He makes me feel at home. Home is not a building—it’s where you find peace, and that’s what Shakib is.”

However, in August 2024, the couple unfollowed each other on social media and deleted their photos, following publicized marital issues.

The trouble began when Diamond Platnumz made a surprise visit to Zari’s home in South Africa to celebrate their daughter’s birthday. The move reportedly upset Shakib, who had not been informed.

To clarify the situation, Zari went live on Instagram, calling out her husband’s insecurities.

“If my guy doesn’t recognize who I am, shame! I will definitely find someone who does. I am worth so much more,” she stated.

She also addressed Shakib directly, urging him to work on his insecurities.

“Go fix yourself. The problem is not with me. Go fix your insecurities, bro,” she said.

Despite their fallout, Zari and Shakib reconciled in early 2025, and the couple has since been seen together, putting their differences behind them.