Ruins to Revenue, Modern Infrastructures +Culture +Sports: Sanganai to Unlock Masvingo

by Kudakwashe Ruzive

Masvingo is preparing to take centre stage as Zimbabwe hosts the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo, bringing together tourism operators, buyers, investors and destinations in what promises to be one of the country’s most significant tourism gatherings of the year.

More than an exhibition, the event presents Masvingo with an opportunity to transform its rich tourism assets into real business, increased visitor arrivals and long-term investment.

The contrast with the previous Sanganai edition hosted in Mutare is particularly striking. Mutare demonstrated how an Expo can shine a national spotlight on a destination blessed with natural beauty, while Masvingo now has an opportunity to take the model further combining tourism promotion with infrastructure development and a broader business-events strategy.

From Expo to Economic Catalyst

The most important legacy of Sanganai/Hlanganani may not be the colourful exhibitions, glamorous launches or packed conference halls, but what remains after the visitors have left.

Under a whole-of-Government approach, the Expo has accelerated infrastructure development in Masvingo, including the refurbishment of Masvingo Airport, construction of restaurants, offices and ablution facilities, development of a conference and events centre, as well as rehabilitation of roads linking the airport and Expo venue.

Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Hon Barbara Rwodzi has highlighted the commitment of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development and Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Hon Ezra Chadzamira, whose mobilisation of construction equipment has helped give the preparations visible momentum.

This is significant because tourism cannot thrive on attractions alone. Airports, roads, conference facilities and quality accommodation are the arteries through which tourism revenue flows.

Beyond Great Zimbabwe

Masvingo already possesses one of Zimbabwe’s most powerful tourism brands Great Zimbabwe, the country’s iconic World Heritage Site. But Sanganai/Hlanganani provides an opportunity to tell a bigger story: that Masvingo is not merely home to an ancient monument, but a province capable of hosting international business, leisure, cultural and sporting tourism.

Sport, in particular, could become an important piece of that puzzle. Sporting fixtures generate domestic travel, fill accommodation during quieter periods and encourage repeat visits in ways that heritage attractions alone sometimes cannot.

The real test, therefore, will be whether Sanganai/Hlanganani sparks a recurring calendar of conferences, sporting events, cultural festivals and tour packages that operators can continue selling long after the Expo closes.

Learning from Mutare

Mutare’s previous hosting demonstrated the promotional power of taking Sanganai beyond Harare. Masvingo now has the chance to build on that momentum.

If Mutare showcased the tourism potential of the Eastern Highlands, Masvingo can position itself as a gateway to heritage, wildlife, culture, adventure and business tourism.

The difference will ultimately be measured not by attendance figures alone, but by what follows contracts signed, investors engaged, tourists arriving and businesses created.

Building a Destination, Not Just an Event

The Ministry and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority have complemented the Expo preparations with an extensive domestic marketing campaign spanning social and broadcast media, billboards, webinars, in-store promotions and branded buses connecting major cities and tourism corridors.

Yet Hon Rwodzi has acknowledged that sustained media coverage remains one of the campaign’s greatest multipliers.

That message is important. Tourism grows when destinations are seen, discussed, experienced and remembered.

Sanganai/Hlanganani 2026 therefore arrives at a defining moment for Masvingo. The province has the heritage. It has the landscapes. It has the culture. It now has an increasingly strengthened infrastructure base.

What it needs is conversion turning potential into arrivals, arrivals into spending and spending into jobs and investment.

As Zimbabwe pursues its Vision 2030 ambition, tourism is being positioned not simply as an industry for leisure, but as a vehicle for investment mobilisation, employment creation, community empowerment and infrastructure development.

##StayTunedOnJWB#