Upstate is the modern African eatery in the Opus Nova world. It’s contemporary, confident, and rooted in African flavours and rhythms without becoming nostalgic or themed. Designed for long lunches, after-work meals, and relaxed dinner service, Upstate approaches food, drink, and music as one integrated experience — something you feel more than analyse. It is the first act of the hospitality story: a space for ease, connection, and unhurried conversation.
Hospitality, experiences, and creative work designed as one continuous story.
Opus Nova builds and operates spaces, events, and collaborations that feel intentional — from everyday hospitality to one-off experiences and long-term brand partnerships. Each venue and project has its own character, but they all share the same way of thinking.
Spaces that carry the Opus Nova signature.
We design, operate, and support venues that feel lived-in, deliberate, and distinctly local. Each space has its own mood and crowd, but all of them share the same commitment to experience, detail, and continuity.
Denga is the third space — not work, not home, but the place you slide into when the day is done. It’s built for after-work and after-hours: curated DJs, expressive energy, warm lighting, movement, and the social gravity of a venue people return to without needing a plan. Denga holds the high-energy side of the Opus Nova portfolio — a lounge with rhythm, atmosphere, and the sense that anything can happen if you stay long enough.
Emagumeni is the indoor-and-outdoor social hub of Opus Nova — a place built for movement, local flavour, and shared energy. It’s where people gather for games, sport, live screenings, watch-together moments, and easy, local food. The vibe is communal, expressive, and warm. Emagumeni blends open-air freedom with indoor comfort, creating a space that works for groups, families, after-work crowds, and big-match nights. It’s rooted in the rhythm of the city — familiar, lively, and distinctly Zimbabwean.
Some venues are fully operated by Opus Nova, while others are built in partnership. This includes coffee concepts, family-focused dining, poolside ideas, outdoor builds, and new spaces still in development. Regardless of the format, each project is guided by the same thinking: clear positioning, deliberate experience design, and the quiet signature of the house — Opus Nova Hoc Fecit.
Events and moments with a throughline.
Experiences sit at the intersection of space, people, and timing. We design them as deliberate journeys — whether they’re hosted at our own venues or created with partners.
We design evenings that feel specific to the venue and its guests: tastings, live music, launches, cultural nights, private celebrations, and gatherings that feel intentional rather than improvised.
We work with partners to create programming that aligns with their objectives and the identity of the space. The result is collaboration that feels organic, relevant, and well-matched.
We think in arcs and sequences — series, seasons, and rhythms that build connection, loyalty, and memory. This creates depth, not noise, and gives guests reasons to return.
The thinking behind the spaces.
The creative work sits beneath everything we build — shaping how each venue looks, feels, speaks, and connects. Naming, identity, narrative, and design systems all form part of a coherent story.
We define what each concept stands for — its promise, its personality, its role in the city. Names, narratives, and tonal systems are created to have longevity, not just launch appeal.
Logos, palettes, typography, signage, menus, wayfinding, uniforms, and digital identity — all built to be coherent without feeling rigid. It’s structure with breathing room.
Each venue and project is a chapter in the larger Opus Nova narrative. The signature line — Opus Nova Hoc Fecit — signals that these experiences were designed with intention.
For partners who want more than brand placement, we co-design concepts, programmes, and visual worlds. The outcome is work that feels integrated, balanced, and authentic to both sides.
hello@opusnova.co.zw