By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
MASVINGO — The 19th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo has been declared a resounding success, with Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr George Manyaya announcing that over 125 international buyers attended this year’s event — a significant jump from the 89 buyers who participated last year.
“This year, you see over 125 buyers that came,” Dr Manyaya said in an interview. “These are our chief marketeers. They’re coming from different countries — Europe, the United States of America, some from Africa and the Far East.”
The surge in buyer participation represents a nearly 50 percent increase from the previous edition, underscoring growing international confidence in Destination Zimbabwe.
Beyond the Expo: Buyers Explore National Attractions
What sets this year’s expo apart, according to Dr Manyaya, is that buyers are not just attending the trade fair — they are experiencing the full breadth of Zimbabwe’s tourism product.
“It’s not only attendance at the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe fair. What is happening is that they’re also going to national attractions,” he said.
“Culture, they’re seeing our culture, nature and wildlife, and they’re also seeing and respecting all the tourist products that we have.”
The familiarisation tours have taken buyers across the country. “Other groups came straight from Victoria Falls, the other groups went to Great Zimbabwe, the other groups went to see Gonarezhou National Park, the other groups went to Chilojo Cliffs,” Dr Manyaya revealed.
This strategic dispersal of buyers across multiple destinations aligns with the government’s goal of promoting lesser-explored regions and extending the economic benefits of tourism to more communities.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi has emphasised that buyers are being deliberately scattered across Masvingo Province — to Chiredzi, Tugwi-Mukosi, Bikita, and Zaka — rather than pooled in one hotel.
“They are here to explore Masvingo so that after Sanganai/Hlanganani they will sell Masvingo Province, not just Victoria Falls, Bulawayo or Harare,” Minister Rwodzi said.
First-Time Visitors, Lasting Impressions
A notable feature of this year’s buyer cohort is that most are visiting Zimbabwe for the first time. Dr Manyaya described this as a significant opportunity.
“These are the kinds who actually have influence in tourism. Most of them, it’s their first time in Zimbabwe, and they’ve promised to give back to Zimbabwe,” he said. “So, it has been very successful.”
The buyers come from key source markets including Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Japan, India, and the United Arab Emirates.
Several European agencies undertook a 12-day familiarisation tour ahead of the expo, visiting Harare, Great Zimbabwe, Gonarezhou, Matobo, Hwange, and Victoria Falls.
Handover to Mashonaland West
As the curtain falls on Masvingo’s hosting of the expo, Dr Manyaya confirmed that next year’s edition will move to Mashonaland West Province.
“I came from the old in Sanganai/Hlanganani, so next year we are going to Mashonaland West,” he said.
The devolved model of the expo — rotating it between provinces — is a deliberate strategy to spread tourism investment and infrastructure development beyond traditional host cities.
The 2025 edition was held in Mutare, Manicaland Province, while this year’s event has left a lasting infrastructure legacy in Masvingo, including the refurbishment of Masvingo Airport, upgrades to the Gymkhana Tourism Park, and road improvements.
A Successful Edition
The 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo, held from 9 to 12 September 2026 at the Gymkhana Events and Conference Centre, attracted 392 exhibitors — 98 percent of the 400 target — and nine exhibiting countries.
The event was held under the theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
For Zimbabwe, the record buyer turnout signals growing global confidence in the destination. For the buyers, it has been an opportunity to discover a country that offers far more than Victoria Falls.
As Dr Manyaya put it: “They are seeing the Zimbabwean product.”
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