By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
VICTORIA FALLS — Of all the places a billionaire could choose to spend his 74th birthday, Sir Jim Ratcliffe chose a golf course suspended above one of the natural wonders of the world.
And by his own account, the only thing that went wrong was a tree.
The founder of chemicals giant INEOS and co-owner of Manchester United flew into Victoria Falls on Saturday. He spent Sunday morning on the Elephant Hills course, looking out over the gorges and the spray of Mosi-oa-Tunya — the Smoke That Thunders.
Later, he recorded a short video message. What he said next was the kind of endorsement Zimbabwe’s tourism marketers could hardly have scripted better.
“My birthday today, and we’ve chosen Zimbabwe for my birthday, and it’s been glorious,” Sir Jim Ratcliffe said.
“Glorious golf course, the people have been lovely. The weather is fantastic. Apart from one tree which I hit with my golf ball, the morning has been wonderful.”
A choice that carries weight
Men of Ratcliffe’s means can celebrate anywhere. He could have stayed in Britain. He could have picked any of the familiar playgrounds of the very wealthy — the private islands, the exclusive resorts, the cities where billionaires are a routine sight.
Instead, he came to Zimbabwe.
That choice matters because of who made it. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is not simply a wealthy visitor. In 2024, he acquired a minority stake in Manchester United, and his INEOS group took responsibility for the club’s football operations.
That places him at the centre of one of the most recognisable sporting brands on earth — a club followed by fans on every continent, in every time zone.
When a figure like that tells the camera that the people were lovely and the weather fantastic, the message travels far beyond the golf course. For a destination competing for attention in crowded international markets, it is a rare and entirely unpaid piece of promotion.
The itinerary: a showcase in three acts
The birthday round was only the opening act.
Ratcliffe told viewers his week would continue deeper into Zimbabwe’s wild country.
“We’re now following this with Hwange and then Mana Pools,” he said. “So, yeah, we’ll have a glorious week, I’m sure.”
The route traces much of what Zimbabwe sells to the world. It begins in Victoria Falls, the resort town built around the waterfall and its luxury lodges. It moves on to the wildlife-rich landscapes of Hwange National Park. And it ends in the remote wilderness of Mana Pools, a UNESCO World Heritage Site along the Zambezi River.
Together, the three stops make a compact showcase: spectacle, safari and solitude, all within a single week’s itinerary.
A personal touch from the Minister
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi arranged for a representative to check on how Ratcliffe and his party were finding their stay.
The billionaire noticed — and said so on camera.
“Minister, it’s very kind of you to send this gentleman over to ask how we’re getting on in Zimbabwe.”
It was a small courtesy. But it was a telling one. Hospitality is the product Zimbabwe is selling, and here it was delivered personally, at ministerial level, and acknowledged publicly by the guest.
What a visit can and cannot do
Zimbabwe continues to promote its attractions to international markets, with Victoria Falls as its most recognisable calling card.
A celebrity visit does not by itself change arrival numbers. One man’s holiday does not fill hotels or create jobs. What it can do is put a destination in front of audiences who may never have considered it — through a voice they already know and trust.
Ratcliffe’s voice carries particular reach. Manchester United’s global fanbase spans millions, and his public profile extends well beyond British boardrooms. For a country working hard to win more international visitors and investment, that is worth more than a billboard.
An ambassador who simply came on holiday
For one week in October, that voice belonged to a football club owner celebrating his birthday among elephants, gorges and thundering water.
If his verdict holds through Hwange and Mana Pools, Zimbabwe’s tourism sector will have gained something money cannot buy: an ambassador who simply came on holiday, and liked what he found.
The tree, one suspects, will be forgiven.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and partner
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