The ancient city of Masvingo has become the epicentre of Zimbabwe’s tourism calendar this week, as the September Sports Tourism Carnival launched today ahead of the country’s flagship Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo.
Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Hon Tongai Mnangagwa presided over the official opening, joined by Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Masvingo Province Hon Ezra Chadzamira and Sports and Recreation Commission Director General Allen Mavhunga, who represented Deputy Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture Hon Emily Jesaya.
The four-day Carnival, set to run until 4 September, has brought together tertiary institutions from all ten provinces battling it out in football, basketball, volleyball, cricket, rugby, netball, pool, tennis, golf and marathon events, filling the province with athletes, officials and their supporters.
Organisers describe the Carnival as far more than a sporting fixture, framing it instead as an engine for travel and economic growth. Hotels, lodges, restaurants and tour operators across Masvingo stand to benefit as visitor numbers swell, while the province’s tourism drawcard, the Great Zimbabwe monument, gets fresh exposure to both domestic and international audiences.
Once the competitions wrap up on 4 September, attention shifts to the Street Carnival the following day. The celebrations then feed directly into the 19th Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo, scheduled for 9 to 12 September at the Gymkhana Events and Conference Centre.
