Online Reporter
Trish Mukwazo, [email protected]
LUPANE State University (LSU) will represent Matabeleland North province at the forthcoming 18th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo set for Mutare after emerging winners at the Scholastica Tourism Conference with an innovative groundnut-based project.
The tourism showcase, which runs from September 10 to 12, is being hosted in Mutare for the first time, after 17 years at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre (ZIEC) in Bulawayo.
LSU outperformed Zimbabwe Open University during the conference, which was held in Bulawayo on Thursday under the theme “Eco-Resilient Destinations: Leveraging Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality in Zimbabwe.”
After deliberations by judges and stakeholders, LSU students Messiah Immaculate and Wethenjiwe Ngwenya were declared winners for their project, which uses groundnuts to produce flour for pastries and other meals. The innovation is designed to promote sustainability, food heritage, and employment creation for local communities.
Speaking to Zimpapers News Hub, the duo said the idea was inspired by Education 5.0’s heritage-based learning approach.
“Also, we are looking at innovation from groundnuts. We managed to come up with flour which can be used to prepare pastries. We hope to achieve a unique product and a unique flavour.
“We plan to actually take it out to the market and show people who we really are in terms of our traditional food. You can eat it, even if it’s cooked in other ways, but that groundnut element, it should still be within the meal,” they said.
LSU’s Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Dr Sibongile Manzini, said the project demonstrates the institution’s commitment to sustainability and economic growth.
“Our students have worked tirelessly to develop innovative solutions and ideas that showcase the best of Zimbabwe’s tourism and hospitality sector,” she said.
Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) marketing and corporate communications manager, Mr Thandolwenkosi Nkomo, said the Scholastica Tourism Conference was designed to strengthen links between academia and industry.
“The Conference seeks to harness innovations for tourism and hospitality industry growth in a way that promotes inclusivity, particularly through the active participation of differently-abled students thereby ensuring equal opportunities and representation in the tourism innovation ecosystem.
“This resonates with the President’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind,” he said.
The Sanganai/Hlanganani Expo, organised by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), is the country’s premier tourism trade fair and a successor to the Shanyai/Vakatshani Zimbabwe International Travel Expo (ZITE).
Launched in 1982, ZITE grew into one of Africa’s top tourism showcases by 2007 before being rebranded to Sanganai/Hlanganani.
