Online Reporter
Judith Phiri [email protected]
OVER 4 000 students from schools across Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and the Midlands have attended the first two days of Scholastica 2026, as the education exhibition continues to expand its reach and attract universities from across the region and beyond.
Organised by the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company at the Zimbabwe International Conference and Exhibition Smart City (ZICES), the three-day education, careers and training expo is running under the theme: “RISE – Ready, Inspired, Skilled, Empowered.”
Scholastica seeks to expose learners to diverse career opportunities while connecting them with universities, private and public sector organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
In an interview ZITF Company Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager on Thursday, Mr Thandolwenkosi Nkomo said they invited students from different schools around Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and the Midlands provinces.
“In the last two days, yesterday (Wednesday) and today (Thursday), we have hosted over 4 000 students. The sessions we have hosted, day one was focusing on students from the arts, sport and humanities.
“In terms of the programme on Wednesday some of the key highlights were the fashion show because the idea around the session was to highlight the potential of careers within arts and humanities and within the creative industries,” he said.
“On Thursday, the focus has been on future careers within the commercial sector, so we have had panels and presentations around that space. We also had a key highlight of the STEM lady, Ms Sicelo Dube who was there giving presentations and part of the panel discussions.”
He said on Friday, the programme will focus on careers in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics as a STEM day, while there will be workshops and seminars lined up for the students.
Mr Nkomo said they were excited to note that they had a sizable number of exhibitors featuring at Scholastica 2026, in particular, appreciating two universities from Botswana and India.
“This shows that Scholastica is growing because it is now able to attract regional and international universities. This is all in the idea of ensuring that Scholastica grows to be an international educational exhibition hosted right here by the ZITF Company,” he added.
“Among the exhibitors, you will notice there are private sector enterprises, public sector enterprises, some NGOs. All these organisations have come in to help ensure that students are able to get the right information about their careers.”
He said structuring the programme and activities around different career disciplines, allowed students to receive information relevant to their interests and potential career paths.
The three-day education, careers and training expo programme also touched on presentations and discussions on building careers in the creative economy and the business of sport.
Students also participated in financial literacy and artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber-security awareness sessions, a climate and green environment quiz, exhibition tours, mock interviews and practical exploration zones covering robotics, creative media and skills development.
Among other topics were skills development, entrepreneurship, saving, investment and wealth creation. The programme also a tertiary schools financial markets quiz and interactive exhibition zones.
The final day will focuses on STEM careers, incorporating live demonstrations. A STEM inspiration session will feature professionals and entrepreneurs from fields including biotechnology, hydroponic farming, ecotoxicology, science education and ecology. The programme concludes with an official opening segment and an awards ceremony.
