Hotels, lodges fully booked ahead of ZITF 2026

Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]

HOSPITALITY industry players have expressed readiness to host visitors during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), with hotels and lodges reporting near full to full bookings ahead of the event.

This year’s exhibition will run from 20 to 25 April 2026 at the Zimbabwe International Conference and Exhibition Smart City (ZICES) in Bulawayo under the theme “Connected Economies, Competitive Industries”.

The hospitality sector is expected to be among the major beneficiaries of the annual trade showcase.
Key industry players held a meeting on Wednesday to assess members’ preparedness for the event.
Responding to questions from Zimpapers Business Hub, Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) Bulawayo representative Mrs Grace Guchu-Nkomo said preparations were progressing smoothly.

Bulawayo is set to receive an influx of visitors attending this year’s edition of the ZITF as well as the 46th Independence celebrations scheduled to take place in Maphisa, about 118 kilometres from the city.

“The current situation in terms of preparedness after our meeting seems to be positive with the two prime events happening, the ZITF and Independence. The three (major) hotels in the city are fully booked and waiting for the final payments to be made on these bookings. The lodges and guest houses, as well, have a fair share of the bookings with most of them reporting that they are full, also waiting for final payments for the booking to be paid for.”

Mrs Guchu-Nkomo said the sector is appealing to utility and service providers to exercise flexibility during the trade fair period, while also urging local authorities to address outstanding infrastructure issues.

“The plea during the meeting was for ZESA to be lenient on power cuts as we will be hosting guests from all over. They appreciated the road works currently underway, with cause for concern still being on the smaller roads from main roads as they’re not being attended to.”

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over accommodation rates, amid complaints that prices have surged due to peak demand during the exhibition period.

“There is a friend of mine who asked me to book for her, but the prices are too high, with some lodges charging above U$120 per night and some US$300 per night for three beds,” said a woman who requested anonymity.

However, Mrs Guchu Nkomo said no formal complaints had been lodged with the association.
“In terms of pricing, we haven’t really received any complaints formally and ordinarily prices are not the same during ZITF,” she said.

With several hospitality sector players operating as small and medium enterprises, Bulawayo Chamber of SMEs vice chairperson, Ms Sithabile Bhebhe, urged micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to capitalise on increased economic activity during the trade fair.

“There will be a lot of activity in the city during the ZITF week; this is an opportunity for our MSMEs to provide various services and products they have in different sectors,” she said.

She added that the ZITF period presents a unique platform for MSMEs to market their products to a wider and more diverse clientele, while calling for exhibition stand pricing structures that are inclusive of enterprises with limited resources.

Former HAZ Bulawayo Chapter Hotels representative Mr Fungai Mutseyekwa said establishments were fully prepared to accommodate visitors.

“Sterling is more than ready to host delegates that are coming for both the independence and ZITF events. We are putting finer touches to our product and constantly doing refresher training on service excellence,” he said.

Business leaders said exhibiting at the ZITF offers companies a rare opportunity to engage policymakers, investors and potential clients under one roof, while showcasing innovation, new products and services to a broad audience.

For emerging enterprises and start-ups, they said the platform provides critical visibility and credibility, allowing them to benchmark their offerings against established players while opening up new distribution and market access opportunities.