MASVINGO’S GYMKHANA EVENTS AND CONFERENCE CENTRE TO HOST DZIMBABWE TOURISM EXPO
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has confirmed that the 2026 edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani Tourism Expo, themed Sanganai/Hlanganani – Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo, will be hosted at the Gymkhana Events and Conference Centre in Masvingo from 9 to 12 September.
The expo, held annually by ZTA, is widely recognised as Africa’s premier tourism trade fair, bringing together exhibitors, buyers, investors, and suppliers of tourism-related services from across the region and the world. This year’s decision to host the event in Masvingo places the spotlight on the historic province, home to the Great Zimbabwe Monument, one of the country’s most significant cultural and archaeological landmarks, and a fitting backdrop for an edition themed around Dzimbahwe, a term closely associated with the country’s stone-built heritage sites.
Delegations are expected to attend from a number of neighbouring countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, and Malawi, reflecting the strong regional interest that the expo continues to attract year after year. Beyond the region, buyers are also expected to travel from further afield, with delegations anticipated from the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and China, underscoring the expo’s growing international profile as a platform for connecting Zimbabwean tourism offerings with global markets.
The expo remains a key platform for forging strategic partnerships, driving investment, and expanding market access for local tourism businesses, including small and medium enterprises that form a significant part of Zimbabwe’s tourism value chain. For many local operators, the event offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with international buyers and investors, opening doors to business relationships that might otherwise be difficult to access from within the domestic market alone.
Beyond its trade and investment functions, the expo also serves as an important showcase opportunity, allowing Zimbabwe to present its diverse destinations, ranging from natural wonders and wildlife areas to cultural and heritage sites, to a global audience of travel industry decision-makers. With Masvingo hosting the event this year, organisers are expected to place particular emphasis on the province’s own tourism assets, potentially opening up new visibility for destinations beyond Zimbabwe’s more established tourism circuits such as Victoria Falls and Hwange.
As preparations for the September event continue, the hosting of the Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo in Masvingo is expected to reinforce Zimbabwe’s broader ambitions of diversifying its tourism offering while strengthening its position as a leading destination and trade hub on the African continent.
