Every year, Zimbabwe’s tourism industry gathers at one unmissable marketplace: the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo. Organised by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), the expo is the country’s premier international tourism trade fair, bringing together local operators, international buyers, tour operators, airlines, investors and travel media under one roof to showcase the very best of what Zimbabwe — and Africa more broadly — has to offer.
The 2026 Edition: Masvingo Takes the Stage
The 2026 edition, now in its 19th year, runs from 9 to 12 September in Masvingo, Masvingo Province. This marks the expo’s second consecutive year rotating away from its long-time home of Bulawayo, following last year’s edition in Mutare, as part of government’s devolution drive to spread the economic benefits of tourism to different regions of the country.
With each move, the expo has also taken on a new name reflecting its host province. What was long known simply as Sanganai/Hlanganani became Sanganai/Hlanganani/Kumbanayi for the 2025 Mutare edition, and this year it carries the identity Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe, a nod to Masvingo’s Great Zimbabwe heritage. Despite the changing names, the expo’s core mandate hasn’t shifted: to market Zimbabwe as a competitive tourism destination, connect local businesses with international markets, and stimulate investment in the sector.
A Special Focus on Masvingo
This year’s expo places particular emphasis on Masvingo’s adventure tourism offerings and investment potential, spotlighting a province rich in heritage and natural assets that have historically been underexposed on the international stage. Great Zimbabwe, Lake Mutirikwi and Kyle Recreational Park all sit within the province, alongside a range of cultural and outdoor attractions that organisers hope to bring firmly into the global tourism conversation.
Hosting the expo is also proving to be a catalyst for local development — rehabilitation works at Masvingo’s provincial airport are already under way ahead of the event, and interest has spread well beyond the tourism industry into the wider local community, with residents eager to be part of the event’s success.
From a Regional Showcase to a Global Marketplace
Sanganai/Hlanganani began primarily as a way of putting Zimbabwe back on the international tourism map, anchored around the country’s best-known drawcards: Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park and Great Zimbabwe. Nearly two decades on, the expo’s scope has broadened considerably. Today it serves as a platform for selling a much wider range of experiences — wildlife and adventure tourism, heritage and culture, gastronomy, wellness, community-based tourism, and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) travel.
The 2026 edition has already drawn more than 80 international buyers from markets including Australia, China, Japan, India, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the UAE and South Africa — giving Zimbabwean operators, including small and emerging businesses, direct access to international networks that can translate into future bookings, partnerships and investment.
Sport Tourism and Pre-Event Activity
In the lead-up to the main expo, Masvingo hosted the September Sports Tourism Carnival (1–4 September) and a Street Carnival on 5 September, part of a broader strategy to turn the host city into a hub of activity around the showcase and to demonstrate sport as another dimension of Zimbabwe’s tourism offering. The approach aligns with government’s Tourism Recovery and Growth Plan and National Development Strategy 2, both of which identify sport tourism as a growth area alongside culture and infrastructure.
Getting Involved
The expo caters to exhibitors, international buyers and media alike:
Exhibition inquiries: National Convention Bureau — ncb@ztazim.co.zw / +263 8677 005940
Media inquiries: via ZTA’s official social channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube and Instagram — search “Tourism Zimbabwe”)
Why It Matters for Travellers
For travel planners and prospective visitors, Sanganai/Hlanganani is a useful barometer of what’s new in Zimbabwean tourism — new lodges, packages, provincial attractions and investment projects are typically unveiled or promoted at the expo before reaching wider markets. With the rotating host-province model now bringing the spotlight to destinations beyond the traditional Victoria Falls–Hwange circuit, this year’s Masvingo edition is a chance to discover emerging experiences around Great Zimbabwe and Lake Mutirikwi before they become mainstream on the tourist trail.
Sanganai/Hlanganani: Zimbabwe’s Flagship Tourism Marketplace Comes to Masvingo
Every year, Zimbabwe’s tourism industry gathers at one unmissable marketplace: the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo. Organised by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), the expo is the country’s premier international tourism trade fair, bringing together local operators, international buyers, tour operators, airlines, investors and travel media under one roof to showcase the very best of what Zimbabwe — and Africa more broadly — has to offer.
The 2026 Edition: Masvingo Takes the Stage
The 2026 edition, now in its 19th year, runs from 9 to 12 September in Masvingo, Masvingo Province. This marks the expo’s second consecutive year rotating away from its long-time home of Bulawayo, following last year’s edition in Mutare, as part of government’s devolution drive to spread the economic benefits of tourism to different regions of the country.
With each move, the expo has also taken on a new name reflecting its host province. What was long known simply as Sanganai/Hlanganani became Sanganai/Hlanganani/Kumbanayi for the 2025 Mutare edition, and this year it carries the identity Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe, a nod to Masvingo’s Great Zimbabwe heritage. Despite the changing names, the expo’s core mandate hasn’t shifted: to market Zimbabwe as a competitive tourism destination, connect local businesses with international markets, and stimulate investment in the sector.
A Special Focus on Masvingo
This year’s expo places particular emphasis on Masvingo’s adventure tourism offerings and investment potential, spotlighting a province rich in heritage and natural assets that have historically been underexposed on the international stage. Great Zimbabwe, Lake Mutirikwi and Kyle Recreational Park all sit within the province, alongside a range of cultural and outdoor attractions that organisers hope to bring firmly into the global tourism conversation.
Hosting the expo is also proving to be a catalyst for local development — rehabilitation works at Masvingo’s provincial airport are already under way ahead of the event, and interest has spread well beyond the tourism industry into the wider local community, with residents eager to be part of the event’s success.
From a Regional Showcase to a Global Marketplace
Sanganai/Hlanganani began primarily as a way of putting Zimbabwe back on the international tourism map, anchored around the country’s best-known drawcards: Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park and Great Zimbabwe. Nearly two decades on, the expo’s scope has broadened considerably. Today it serves as a platform for selling a much wider range of experiences — wildlife and adventure tourism, heritage and culture, gastronomy, wellness, community-based tourism, and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) travel.
The 2026 edition has already drawn more than 80 international buyers from markets including Australia, China, Japan, India, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the UAE and South Africa — giving Zimbabwean operators, including small and emerging businesses, direct access to international networks that can translate into future bookings, partnerships and investment.
Sport Tourism and Pre-Event Activity
In the lead-up to the main expo, Masvingo hosted the September Sports Tourism Carnival (1–4 September) and a Street Carnival on 5 September, part of a broader strategy to turn the host city into a hub of activity around the showcase and to demonstrate sport as another dimension of Zimbabwe’s tourism offering. The approach aligns with government’s Tourism Recovery and Growth Plan and National Development Strategy 2, both of which identify sport tourism as a growth area alongside culture and infrastructure.
Getting Involved
The expo caters to exhibitors, international buyers and media alike:
Why It Matters for Travellers
For travel planners and prospective visitors, Sanganai/Hlanganani is a useful barometer of what’s new in Zimbabwean tourism — new lodges, packages, provincial attractions and investment projects are typically unveiled or promoted at the expo before reaching wider markets. With the rotating host-province model now bringing the spotlight to destinations beyond the traditional Victoria Falls–Hwange circuit, this year’s Masvingo edition is a chance to discover emerging experiences around Great Zimbabwe and Lake Mutirikwi before they become mainstream on the tourist trail.
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Updated on September 8, 2026 by geekadmin
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