Rutendo Nyeve
THE Mosi Oa Tunya Development Company (MOTDC) officially commissioned its new offices on the outskirts of Victoria Falls on Monday, a development expected to strengthen the company’s institutional capacity, deepen stakeholder engagement, mobilise investment and accelerate project integration to deliver tourism growth, employment creation and infrastructure development in the resort city.
The commissioning comes as works are expected to commence on the Masuwe Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on 1 November 2026, with Government reporting huge investments attracted since the operationalisation of MOTDC and the JR Goddard Consortium, operating via Victoria Seven Investments under a US$66.9 million public-private partnership (PPP) agreement approved by the Zimbabwean Government.
Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Barbara Rwodzi commissioned the new offices at an event attended by various tourism stakeholders.
Minister Rwodzi expressed gratitude to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for allowing the company to open an office, saying MOTDC was incepted in 2012 but had operated without offices until now.
“I am very happy and glad that the President himself has allowed us to open an office for Mosi Oa Tunya Development Company, a company that was incepted in 2012 and which did not have offices until today. But a lot of great trials have been done by Mosi Oa Tunya in the past two years. We are also marking the partnership that they have gotten into with JR Goddard,” she said.
She revealed that hotels will be constructed in the zone, along with a gastronomy and culinary arts school in partnership with UN Tourism, two medical tourism hospitals and a financial district.
“The big one that has already started taking place and is nearing completion is the sports facility (Mosi Oa Tunya Cricket Oval) which was done by Zimbabwe Cricket. We thank them so much because they opened a huge door for Mosi Oa Tunya for investment,” said Minister Rwodzi.
MOTDC board chairperson Engineer Phineas Makombe welcomed stakeholders and extended appreciation to the Minister for officiating.
“As the company enters this next phase of its development, the Board expects management to make effective use of this opportunity to strengthen its institutional capacity, deepen stakeholder engagement, mobilise investment and accelerate project integration,” he said.
The commissioning of the offices and the impending commencement of works at the Masuwe SEZ signal a new chapter for Victoria Falls, with expectations high that the projects will catalyse investment and transform the resort city’s tourism landscape.
