WITZ president Violet Mhute (centre) poses for a photo with Zimbabwe Tourism Authority officers at Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo 2026
By Dickson Bandera
MASVINGO — Women in Tourism Zimbabwe (WITZ) is positioning women to take advantage of growing opportunities in Zimbabwe’s tourism sector, using the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe World Tourism Expo as a platform to showcase women-led businesses, access markets and build partnerships.
The push comes as Zimbabwe’s tourism industry records strong growth, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa revealing at the official opening of the 2026 Sanganai expo in Masvingo that tourism investment had increased by 229 percent to US$132.3 million in the first half of 2026, from US$40.2 million during the same period in 2025.
Domestic tourism also increased from five million visitors to 6.4 million during the corresponding period, while the Creative Cultural Industries contributed 8.8 percent to Gross Domestic Product.
The growth is being supported by Government’s ongoing ease-of-doing-business reforms, including the review and reduction of licences, permits, levies and fees across the economy.
The reforms cover tourism and a range of other sectors, with Government saying the objective is to reduce the cost and complexity of doing business, remove regulatory bottlenecks and create a more conducive environment for investment. A total of 291 licences, permits, levies and fees had been fully implemented under the reforms by September 2026.
Within tourism, revised licensing arrangements have reduced the cost of compliance for tourism establishments, including hotels, lodges and other designated tourism facilities.
It is against this backdrop that WITZ president Violet Mhute says women must be positioned to benefit from the expanding tourism economy.
“Our vision as Women in Tourism is to empower women to lead, to innovate and to shape the future of tourism,” Mhute said.
She said Sanganai was particularly important because it gives women entrepreneurs an opportunity to exhibit their businesses, interact with tourism stakeholders and access new markets.
“Our mission is to unlock women’s potential, enhancing the tourism industry through women’s economic empowerment, connection, collaboration, networks and also taking them to markets just like the Sanganai Travel Expo,” she said.
WITZ brings together women operating across a broad spectrum of the tourism value chain, including accommodation and hospitality, culinary and gastronomy tourism, culture and heritage, event management, destination management, travel consultancy, tour operations and tourism investment.
Its membership also includes women involved in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, adventure tourism, wellness and spa services, eco-tourism and agritourism.
Mhute said the organisation was also promoting women involved in crafts and locally produced tourism products, including bags, jewellery, hats and clothing, which provide visitors with souvenirs and a connection to Zimbabwe.
With chapters in all 10 provinces, WITZ has created a national network through which women can be mobilised, supported and connected to opportunities in the tourism sector.
Mhute said the organisation wanted women to move beyond being participants in tourism and become owners and investors in major tourism enterprises.
She cited opportunities for women to establish and own lodges, hotels and conference facilities, particularly as Government continues implementing measures aimed at making it easier and less costly to do business.
However, funding remains a challenge for WITZ, which relies largely on modest membership contributions to finance its activities.
Mhute called for stronger partnerships between Government, the private sector and other organisations committed to women’s economic empowerment.
“What we want is maybe if we could collaborate or partner with Government, private partners or any other people who are willing to partner with us, who have the same objective of empowering the women who are in tourism,” she said.
For WITZ, the Sanganai expo therefore represents more than an opportunity to display products.
It is a platform for women to turn visibility into market access, networking into partnerships and tourism growth into tangible economic opportunities.
As Zimbabwe’s tourism sector expands and reforms seek to lower the cost of doing business, WITZ wants women to be positioned at the centre of that growth — not only as service providers, but as entrepreneurs, investors, employers and decision-makers.
