Zimpapers Logo

Beitbridge Bureau
The country’s tourism development policies have been refined in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) which seeks to build US$5 billion tourism-driven revenue by the year 2030 and make Zimbabwe a major global player in the sector.

This was said by Vice President Kembo Mohadi yesterday while commissioning the US$2,5 million Makhado One-Stop shop, 92km west of Beitbridge town along the Bulawayo highway.

The new project boasts a 28-room lodge, beauty salon, service station, Internet café, motor vehicle workshops, conference facilities, butchery, bakery, supermarket and a hardware shop, among other things.

The project was built by TopPick Investment, a company owned by the Marema Family which is based in South Africa.

VP Mohadi said, among other things, the Government was pushing for tourism players to champion the sector’s growth in areas including unique assists nature, culture, heritage, and the built environment.

He said the country’s tourism strategy was guided by the need to mobilise and undertake a robust investment drive, building on attracting domestic and foreign investment.

“The project we are commissioning here today is a testimony of the growing interest by our own local investors to participate in and invest in the lucrative tourism sector.

“This has been enabled and accelerated by the improved business environment that the Government of Zimbabwe and Second Republic, under the able leadership of President Mnangagwa continues to champion across all the economic sectors, tourism being one of them,” said the Vice President.

He said the NDS1 five-year strategy (2021-2025) would employ bold and transformative measures, continued international re-engagement efforts, leveraging on the national competitive advantages, among them natural resources.

“The Government is investing enough in a robust tourism development policy to create new growth nodes anchored on increased investment in diversified tourism products such as heritage tourism, medical tourism, and community-based tourism, among others.

“Key flagships in this regard include the opening up of new Tugwi Mukosi Dam, Kariba and the development of new nodes on the Victoria Falls Special Economic Zone, notably in Musuwe, Batoka, Gwayi Shangani Dam, Binga, and Sijairira,” said VP Mohadi.

It was critical for Zimbabweans based in foreign countries to consider investing in infrastructure and other economic development projects in the country as envisaged by Zimbabwe is Open for Business thrust.