President Emmerson Mnangagwa during his address in New York at the Zimbabwe Business Forum
By Dickson Bandera
NEW YORK — Zimbabwe is positioning the Masuwe Special Economic Zone as part of a broader strategy to strengthen Victoria Falls as a tourism, business and investment destination, as the country takes its tourism and investment proposition to the international market.
The project was showcased at the Zimbabwe Business Forum in New York, held on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) under the theme “Global Challenges. Zimbabwean Solutions. Shared Prosperity.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who presided over the forum, used the engagement to invite American travellers and investors to experience Zimbabwe’s natural and cultural heritage, with particular emphasis on Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park.
The forum brought together Zimbabwean and international business interests, providing a platform for the country to present investment opportunities while strengthening commercial linkages with the American market.
Tourism featured prominently in the country’s proposition, with Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive officer Dr George Manyaya outlining the country’s ability to provide a complete visitor experience through the Six A’s of Tourism — Attractions, Accessibility, Accommodation, Amenities, Activities and Ancillary Services.
The approach places major tourism attractions within a wider ecosystem of infrastructure, hospitality, activities and supporting services required to sustain a competitive destination.
Masuwe is central to that proposition. The 1 200-hectare Masuwe Special Economic Zone has been designated for tourism and financial services and is planned as a major development within the Victoria Falls tourism corridor.
Preparatory work has advanced, with a comprehensive feasibility study for bulk infrastructure completed and the cadastral survey for the first 271.5-hectare phase completed.
The first phase provides the initial development footprint within the wider 1 200-hectare zone, creating a defined platform for the progression of the project and mobilisation of investment.
The development has significance beyond the provision of additional facilities.
Victoria Falls already attracts visitors from major international markets because of its globally recognised natural attraction, while the wider destination offers wildlife, adventure, cultural, leisure and business tourism experiences.
The development of tourism infrastructure and related commercial services can therefore strengthen the wider visitor economy around the destination.
Masuwe’s designation for tourism and financial services also broadens the investment proposition by linking tourism development with business and financial activity.
The project forms part of a wider tourism landscape that includes Victoria Falls and the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA), placing Zimbabwe’s flagship destination within a major regional conservation and tourism ecosystem.
The United States is a particularly significant market in this strategy.
Dr Manyaya highlighted the strategic importance of the American market, identifying the United States as Zimbabwe’s largest international tourist source market.
The New York engagement therefore combined destination promotion with investment mobilisation, targeting both travellers interested in Zimbabwe and businesses looking for opportunities within the country’s tourism sector.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi also participated in the engagements, including business-to-business meetings intended to strengthen tourism and investment linkages between Zimbabwe and American stakeholders.
The engagement reflects an increasingly integrated approach to tourism promotion, with Zimbabwe seeking not only to attract visitors but also to stimulate investment in the infrastructure, accommodation, services and experiences that underpin tourism growth.
For Victoria Falls, Masuwe provides an additional development platform within an established international destination.
For investors, the project presents opportunities within a tourism economy anchored by one of Africa’s most recognised attractions and connected to a wider regional tourism market.
For Zimbabwe, it forms part of the broader effort to translate international recognition of its tourism assets into investment, business partnerships and increased economic activity.
The New York forum consequently placed Masuwe within a wider national proposition in which Zimbabwe’s natural heritage, wildlife and cultural assets are being presented alongside concrete investment opportunities.
As the country advances its “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” message, Masuwe is emerging as an important component of the tourism investment story — linking the global appeal of Victoria Falls with a planned development platform for tourism and financial services.
