ZIMBABWE COURTS AUSTRALIAN DIASPORA FOR TOURISM INVESTMENT

Zimbabweans living in Australia gathered in Sydney for the Zimbabwe Diaspora Investment and Business Opportunities Forum, an event aimed at steering diaspora money and interest toward the country’s tourism sector.

Addressing delegates, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi acknowledged the long-standing contribution of diaspora remittances to Zimbabwean households, pointing to their role in supporting families, paying for education, financing housing, and sustaining community livelihoods, alongside their broader value as a source of foreign currency for the country.

Rwodzi used that foundation to make her central appeal: that Zimbabweans abroad redirect more of those financial flows into direct investment, with tourism singled out as a particularly promising target. She described the sector as a strategic opportunity capable of delivering solid returns while generating jobs, supporting local value chains, and feeding into the country’s wider economic transformation goals under National Development Strategy 2 and Vision 2030.

The forum also produced a notable moment for one of the youngest attendees. Leah Rose Nyoni, a 13-year-old student at Langdentity School, was named Zimbabwe’s 2026 Junior Tourism Ambassador for Australia after submitting a travel itinerary that impressed organisers. The recognition comes with a week-long familiarisation tour of Zimbabwe’s leading tourist attractions. Langdentity School students also performed a cultural dance for delegates during the event.

In a further initiative announced at the forum, Rwodzi gave her approval for an annual programme called “My Roots, My Pride Tour,” which will be coordinated through the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. The programme is designed to connect Zimbabwean children growing up in Australia with their heritage, with organisers hoping it will encourage future visits to the country among younger members of the diaspora.

The forum closed with an interactive question-and-answer session between attendees and officials, followed by a networking dinner built around Zimbabwean cuisine. The gastronomy-focused evening was framed as more than a social close to the event — organisers said it was intended to reinforce cultural identity among diaspora attendees, strengthen their ties to Zimbabwe, and support the country’s push into gastronomy tourism as a niche within its broader tourism offering.

No figures were given on the scale of diaspora remittances currently flowing into Zimbabwe’s tourism sector, nor on specific investment commitments made by attendees following the forum.