Online Reporter
George Maponga-Masvingo Bureau
As President Mnangagwa swung his arms in his signature dance to the popular ZCC Brass Band song, “Ndire Ndire”, after officially opening the 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo in Masvingo yesterday, the packed auditorium erupted into whistles, ululations and dance.
The overflow crowd outside the auditorium was not to be outdone.
It too joined the frenzy, dancing along to the infectious beat. International buyers in the crowd also joined in, while others pulled out their mobile phones to capture the moment.
For a fleeting moment, the formalities of a major international tourism expo gave way to an exuberant celebration.
But beneath the dancing was a bigger message. Zimbabwe is rising.
It is enjoying its moment in the sun, with the global spotlight increasingly fixed on a country experiencing a tourism renaissance under the Second Republic.
This year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo is oversubscribed and proved a resounding success, judging by the sheer number of exhibitors and international buyers compared to last year.
When he officially opened the expo, President Mnangagwa boldly declared that Zimbabwe was on the rise, with the rebound of the tourism sector playing a significant role in the country’s resurgence. The country’s tourism fortunes have been gaining international recognition, with influential magazine Forbes ranking Zimbabwe as the world’s best must-visit destination in 2025.
The scenes at the Gymkhana Events and Conference Centre appeared to reinforce that growing global confidence.
The expo has become a showcase of why Zimbabwe’s tourism sector is experiencing a renaissance as the country moves towards its goal of attaining upper-middle-income economy status by 2030.
More than 400 exhibitors are participating in this year’s expo, up from 343 last year, while international buyers increased to 125 from 89.
The figures alone point to growing interest in Zimbabwe’s tourism products, from the world-renowned Victoria Falls to the scenic Eastern Highlands and the country’s rich cultural and heritage sites.
In his address, President Mnangagwa challenged players in the tourism industry to market destinations beyond Victoria Falls, saying the country has numerous attractions capable of dazzling international visitors.
“We are indeed blessed as a nation; in every province we have several players that are potential tourist attraction sites, and we must promote such places, we must be proud of our rich tourism heritage bequeathed to us by our ancestors,” he said.
“I am very happy with the level of organisation and the high attendance at this year’s Sanganai/Hlanganani Tourism expo, and I am not sure if there is any province that will be able to surpass what I have witnessed here today.
“I hear Mashonaland West will host the next year’s edition of the expo, but I doubt they will be able to do better than what I have seen today; I am very happy.”
President Mnangagwa’s praise was not difficult to understand.
Beyond the high turnout of exhibitors and international buyers, the Gymkhana Events and Conference Centre itself provided a striking demonstration of how infrastructure development can complement tourism. The facility has been transformed through infrastructure legacy projects and now boasts a modern conference centre, restaurant and bar, supported by an immaculate 1,4km stretch of new road leading to the venue.
The development adds another feather to Masvingo City’s tourism cap as the province targets a provincial gross domestic product of US$8 billion by 2030.
Masvingo Airport has also been upgraded and refurbished and now boasts arrivals and departure terminals, strengthening the province’s air gateway. The province is home to the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site, one of the country’s most important cultural and heritage attractions.
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira, in his welcome remarks, praised President Mnangagwa and the Second Republic, particularly for decentralising key national events such as the Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo.
The move, he said, was in keeping with the philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind. He added that the infrastructure legacy projects they have benefited from hosting the expo “add impetus to our dream of evolving into a US$8 billion economy in GDP terms by the year 2030”.
“We are bewildered by your visionary leadership, and we have decided to remove the colonial name of this place (Gymkhana), hence we have renamed it the Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Recreation Centre,” he said.
The excitement was equally evident among other senior officials, including Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi, who outlined the extensive build-up to this year’s expo.
The programme started with a sports tourism carnival involving 15 teachers’ colleges, polytechnics and universities, culminating in an awards ceremony at Mucheke Stadium last Friday.
“We held a sports tourism carnival that preceded gastronomy and music carnivals, and both events saw an overwhelming participation of the people of Masvingo,” she said.
“International buyers jetted into Masvingo by air and for five days they were all over Masvingo at places like Tugwi-Mukosi (Dam), Malilangwe Conservancy and even passing through places like Zaka, experiencing the beauty of Zimbabwe and its people,” said Minister Rwodzi.
Minister Rwodzi paid tribute to President Mnangagwa for his mentorship and guidance, which she said had helped propel the tourism sector onto the global stage.
As the ZCC Brass Band’s “Ndire Ndire” reached a crescendo at the end of the programme, President Mnangagwa was joined on the dance floor by Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, Minister Rwodzi, Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya, Minister Chadzamira and others on the top table.
There was little doubt about the message carried by the celebration. Zimbabwe’s tourism sector is on a rebound. And, if the energy at Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe is anything to go by, it is a rebound that is gathering momentum.
To fittingly cap the eventful day, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Tongai Mnangagwa took to the podium and asked the director of ceremonies for a microphone.
He raised one fist into the air and bellowed:
“Zim Bho-o”, “Zim Bho-o”, “Experience Zimbabwe”, “Experience Masvingo”.
The crowd responded in unison.
And with that, the 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Expo official opening ended on a high note; a colourful celebration of Zimbabwe’s tourism renaissance and a country increasingly confident about its place on the global tourism map.
