Music, food and cultural performances filled the streets of Masvingo as the 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Zimbabwe Tourism Expo expanded into a Gastronomy and Tourism Street Carnival designed to boost local tourism and open economic doors for communities.
The vibrant gathering drew Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Masvingo Ezra Chadzamira, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Dr Takaruza Munyanyiwa, senior officials, tourism stakeholders, exhibitors, artists and members of the public to the colorful street carnival parade led by the ZPCS and ZCC brass bands.
Musicians Diana Samkange, Vee Mhofu and many cultural groups entertained the crowds as the carnival blended sound, traditional dishes and heritage displays into a single celebration.
Minister Rwodzi said that the carnival reflected the ministry’s strategy of harnessing tourism, arts, culture and gastronomy to drive economic activity at grassroots level.
She noted that the tourism sector had been organised into 13 clusters to ensure players across the value chain share in the industry’s growth, supporting the country’s ambition of reaching upper-middle-income status by 2030.
“The carnival was intentionally structured to benefit local people, among them artists, food vendors, accommodation operators and other small enterprises. The ministry,” she added, “wants tourism to yield real income for communities, especially the youth and those with creative skills.”
She also called for greater investment in accommodation facilities, pointing to rising demand for lodges and guest houses as tourism activity grows.
Minister Chadzamira welcomed guests to Masvingo, calling the province a leading cultural and tourism destination built on its rich historical heritage. He said staging the Sanganai/Hlanganani celebrations there showed how devolution can unlock provincial tourism assets and spur local economic growth.
Masvingo hosts the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, the heritage site that gave the country its name, along with Lake Mutirikwi and Gonarezhou National Park.
Chadzamira described gastronomy tourism as an avenue for communities to use indigenous food, knowledge systems and customs to narrate Zimbabwe’s story while building livelihoods. He said the practice represents more than cuisine, calling it a tribute to the nation’s history, land and inherited wisdom. He encouraged visitors to sample Masvingo’s food, music and traditions, and invited local communities to put their best offerings forward.
Minister Rwodzi, who presided over the Sanganai/Hlanganani programme, said the expo gave Zimbabwe a platform to present its varied tourism products to international buyers and visitors.
The festivities come as Zimbabwe works to widen its tourism marketing beyond well-known destinations and introduce international buyers to emerging attractions nationwide. Munyanyiwa said nearly 140 international buyers took part in the 2026 programme, exceeding the initial target, with delegations visiting Chiredzi, Tugwi-Mukosi, Zaka and Kariba. He said the exposure would help buyers return home with a fuller picture of Zimbabwe’s offerings and consider destinations beyond the traditional hubs.
The street carnival stood as a celebration and marketing tool, bringing tourism’s economic benefits closer to communities while spotlighting Masvingo’s food, music, culture and heritage.
The 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo runs in Masvingo from September 9 to 12, bringing together tourism operators, international buyers, exhibitors, government officials and other industry players.
