MASVINGO is getting ready for more than a tourism expo. With major infrastructure upgrades, hundreds of exhibitors and international buyers already signing up, the 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo is shaping up to leave a lasting economic footprint in the ancient city.
Preparations are gathering momentum ahead of the Expo, which runs from 9 to 12 September 2026, against the spectacular heritage backdrop of Great Zimbabwe.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Hon Barbara Rwodzi, accompanied by Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Hon Ezra Chadzamira, recently toured the Gymkhana Tourism Park, Masvingo Airport and Great Zimbabwe Visitor Centre to assess progress.
And the numbers are already turning heads.
So far, 270 exhibitors have registered against an expected 450, alongside 129 international and 44 local buyers, signalling growing interest in an Expo that Zimbabwe is increasingly positioning as both a tourism marketplace and investment platform.
Masvingo is getting an Expo makeover
At the centre of preparations is the Gymkhana Tourism Park, where works are approximately 80 percent complete.
The facility is being transformed to include a restaurant, bar, gastronomy hub, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority offices and a mini-stadium. A conference centre is planned as a future development after Sanganai, potentially strengthening Masvingo’s ability to compete for major conferences, exhibitions and tourism events long after delegates have gone home.
Masvingo Airport is also undergoing refurbishment, while road and Expo-site improvements are expected to strengthen connectivity and create infrastructure that continues serving the province beyond September.
That long-term legacy sits at the heart of Government’s decision to devolve Sanganai/Hlanganani to different cities in line with President Dr E.D. Mnangagwa’s Devolution Agenda of leaving no one and no place behind, Vision 2030 and the economic transformation agenda under NDS2.
Rather than concentrating the country’s flagship tourism showcase in one location, the model is designed to take tourism investment, infrastructure development and international exposure directly into the provinces.
Great Zimbabwe takes centre stage
Few destinations could provide a more powerful setting.
The Great Zimbabwe Visitor Centre will host the Expo’s welcome cocktail, giving international tourism players an early encounter with one of Zimbabwe’s most important heritage attractions while creating opportunities for local tourism operators to build relationships with international buyers.
The programme itself will turn September into a tourism celebration, beginning with the Sports Tourism Carnival from 1 to 4 September, followed by the Street Carnival on 5 September, before the main Expo opens on 9 September.
Minister Rwodzi has highlighted Masvingo’s strategic position along the regional Cape-to-Cairo corridor, arguing that growing visitor traffic also creates opportunities for investment in five-star accommodation, conference facilities, restaurants, lodges and other tourism products.
There are already encouraging signs from international markets.
Australia is expected to participate in Sanganai for the first time following Zimbabwe’s tourism roadshow, while increased Indian tourist traffic to destinations showcased during the previous Expo in the Eastern Highlands points to the potential of converting international marketing into actual arrivals.
That is where the Masvingo edition could prove particularly significant.
Success will not simply be measured by how many exhibitors fill the stands between 9 and 12 September. It will be measured by the investments, tourism businesses, jobs, infrastructure and visitor traffic that remain after Sanganai has moved to its next destination.
Also involved in preparations are Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Hon Tongai Mnangagwa, Tourism Permanent Secretary Dr Takaruza Munyanyiwa, Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary Mr Pazvakavambwa, Masvingo City Council and other stakeholders.
For Masvingo, September 2026 could therefore be much bigger than four days of exhibitions.
Sanganai is coming to the home of Great Zimbabwe, and this time, the real story may be what it leaves behind.
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