Iranian delegation charmed by Victoria Falls

A DELEGATION of media practitioners from Iran’s Soraya Network Group (SNG), which is in Zimbabwe to film a documentary showcasing the country’s investment opportunities in various sectors of the economy, has been charmed by the magnificent Victoria Falls.

The media team, which arrived in the country last week, held meetings with various Ministers and officials in Harare before moving to Bulawayo for similar engagements and a tour of Matopos Hills.

On Friday the group visited Matabeleland North where it toured the Kamativi Lithium Mine operated by Kamativi Mining Company.

The team interacted with captains of the tourism industry and other citizens in Victoria Falls on Saturday before touring the Victoria Falls and the bridge linking Zimbabwe and Zambia.

They also visited the Big Tree, including the iconic Victoria Falls Hotel, the country’s oldest hotel during which they were taken through the history of the country including the arrival of the railway line.

The team, accompanied by information officers from the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, left Victoria Falls for Harare yesterday.

They are shooting a documentary showcasing investment opportunities in mining, tourism, agriculture and cultural heritage, among other sectors as they seek to help Zimbabwe in its branding strategy.

Their agenda dovetails with President Mnangagwa’s engagement and re-engagement drive as the documentary will help market the country, as it is expected to showcase the Second Republic milestones to help promote Brand Zimbabwe.

Speaking through an interpreter during an interview in Victoria Falls, team leader Mr Mohsen Maghsoudigoudarzi, a producer and writer, said the visit was an eye-opener for them.

“We spent almost 10 days in Harare before we went to Bulawayo and visited Matopos Hills which showed us the history of Zimbabwe and now we are here in Victoria Falls. We are here to introduce opportunities and capacities of Zimbabwe to Iranian people and investors, especially in the fields of mining, agriculture and tourism and economic relationships,” he said.

“We had meetings with a couple of officials, including ministers, captains of industry, Government departments and others. We hope these meetings will increase the relationship between Iran and Zimbabwe.”

Mr Maghsoudigoudarzi said in Victoria Falls, they also learnt of the country’s rich history and marvelled at one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

“We will show this beautiful waterfall to the Iranian people. Zimbabwe is a very beautiful country and we are very thankful to the Government of Zimbabwe because of warm hospitality to us and we hope we can continue to build on the existing relationship between the two countries,” he said.

Players in the tourism industry were also excited by the visit which came at a time when efforts were being made to market destination Zimbabwe.

Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe immediate past president Mr Farai Chimba said the visit positions Victoria Falls as a tourism and investment destination.

“The visit by an Iranian delegation sets real positive exchanges and stands as a great opportunity to unlock value in tourism destinations such as Zimbabwe. They had an opportunity to go to various parts of the country and enjoyed the experience that we offer,” he said.

“As players in tourism, this is where we get opportunities to unlock value whether through airlines. We hope to be seeing Iranian airlines flying directly into Zimbabwe and feeding into other countries within the Middle East to help grow our numbers in tourism.” Mr Chimba lauded the Government for creating such engagements.

“We also see a great opportunity in investment in the country and an increase in the number of rooms in stock that we have as a destination. We are aware that we are short by over 2 500 rooms so that we have the capacity to host major meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) events,” he said.

The SNG is an affiliate and extension of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting that is responsible for domestic radio and television services in Iran.

Since the start of the SNG programme, it has managed to create a collection of documentaries that showcase, in each covered country, the unique economic and cultural capabilities while reaching more than 12 nations globally.

The IRIB is a member of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and has 12 domestic television channels, four international news channels and six satellite television channels and is strategically placed to reach 20 different countries including France, Belgium, Guyana, Malaysia, Lebanon, the United Kingdom and the US.

The SNG group plans to air the documentary on Channel One (Iranian TV), Ofogh Channel, Documentary Channel, No 3 Channel and No 5 Channel.

Zimbabwe and Iran enjoy cordial relations dating back to Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.

A memorandum of understanding between the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the IRIB is being negotiated.