Zimbabwe And Zambia Renew Investor Search For Batoka Gorge Project

 Zimbabwe and Zambia, through the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), have revived the Batoka Gorge Hydropower Project, a 2,400-megawatt facility planned downstream of Victoria Falls, which remains one of their most ambitious initiatives.

First proposed in 1992, the site, about 54 kilometres below the falls, was identified for its hydroelectric potential.

Backed by early feasibility studies from the World Bank, the project was meant to boost power supply for Zimbabwe and Zambia and reduce regional energy shortages.

However, progress stalled due to strained international relations, environmental concerns, and a lack of funding.

The project was dormant until 2012, when renewed interest led to a 2014 memorandum of understanding between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The African Development Bank supported updated studies, and in 2019, General Electric (GE) of the United States and Power Construction Corporation of China were awarded the contract under a build-operate-transfer model.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic, questions over procurement transparency, and Zambia’s 2023 withdrawal from the deal further derailed progress.

ZRA is now intensifying efforts to attract new investors to the Batoka Gorge project.

ZRA Chief Executive Officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa confirmed that a dedicated project team has been established to spearhead the resource mobilisation campaign. He said:

The ZRA has formed a team that will court investors in the proposed 2,400-megawatt facility. This facility will be located near the World Heritage Site, Victoria Falls.

He said the resource mobilisation drive is expected to run for the next 12 to 18 months, depending on investor interest, market conditions, and ongoing political backing from both Zimbabwean and Zambian governments.

Zambia and Zimbabwe have also set a September 2025 deadline to pick new bidders, following the cancellation of the 2019 deal.

Source: Zimbabwe And Zambia Renew Investor Search For Batoka Gorge Project (1/6/25)

Zimbabwe's Tourism Revival Falters

(26th May 2025)

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Tourism Trends and Statistics Report for 2024 records a meagre one percent growth in national tourism arrivals against 2023, following a 54 percent rise in 2023 over 2022 (Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs, 4th June 2024). 

The report records 1,613,901 national tourism arrivals over 2024 against 1,602,781 in 2023 (Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, 2025). The figures are a reality check for over-ambitious government plans to develop of US$5 billion tourism economy by 2025, a core part of the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy. 

The figures mark a sudden pause in the country's post-Covid recovery, with levels still significantly short of pre-pandemic highs of 2,579,974 arrivals recorded in 2019, while global tourism levels have largely recovered to pre-pandemic levels in 2024. Across the river Zambia recorded a record 2,199,820 foreign arrivals over 2024, a 35.3% increase on the 1,392,153 international arrivals recorded in 2023.

Breakdown of the Zimbabwe figures for 2024 record 217,017 European arrivals (against 208,710 in 2023), 134,879 from the Americas (121,953 in 2023), 100,637 Asian arrivals (99,638), 51,153 from Oceania (29,979) and 7,042 from the Middle East (8,960). Oceania markets (Pacific island region, including Australia and New Zealand) recorded a significant increase of 71% against 2023, with traditional markets such as Europe and the Americas recording only small percentage increases.

Zimbabwe Immigration data, however, recorded just 267,845 self-identified tourist or 'leisure' visitors (with 453,091 arrivals identified as 'in transit,' 456,061 visiting friends and relatives and 281,299 on business).

The sector is estimated to have generated approximately US$1.18 billion in 2024, reflecting a 2% increase from the US$1.16 billion recorded in 2023, but still a long way short of government ambitions for a US$5 billion tourism economy by 2025.

Additional figures show the south-bank Victoria Falls visitor park (the 'rainforest') received 394,681 visitors over 2024, against 302,626 in 2023, including 295,084 international visitors. The total for 2024 is just short of the record of 397,436 visitors to the Falls recorded in 2019, indicating that tourism to the Falls has recovered to pre-Covid levels. The Zambezi National Park recorded 202,618 visitors, up on the 170,605 visitors in 2023. Jointly, the Victoria Falls and Zambezi National Park recorded a combined 597,299 visitors. 

Despite branding itself under the banner 'A World of Wonders,' Zimbabwe's national tourism strategy has increasingly focused on exploiting the Victoria Falls as its sole focus, neglecting once well established tourism centres across the country, such as the Matopas, Kariba, Hwange and the Eastern Highlands. Across the country, Zimbabwe's National Parks recorded at total of 998,877 visitors, with visitors to the Falls and Zambezi National Parks accounting for 59.8 percent of this total. Figures for foreign visitors show an even stronger dominance, with the Falls and Zambezi National Parks receiving 435,191 international visitors against a national total of 497,149, or 87.5 percent.

Zambezi Helicopter Company Invests US$2.1 Million in New Victoria Falls Aviation Hub

 The Zambezi Helicopter Company (ZHC), a division of Shearwater Adventures, is nearing completion of a US$2.1 million aviation facility in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Set to open in May 2025, the new hub in the Chinotimba Industrial Area replaces the company’s previous base near the Elephant Hills Hotel and forms part of wider efforts to support Zimbabwe’s target of growing its tourism sector to US$5 billion.

The development features an Air Management Organisation, hangars, helipads, a VIP lounge, restaurant, pilot training facilities, and maintenance services for external operators. It is expected to generate local employment and enhance operational capacity amid surging demand for helicopter tours over the falls. According to Shearwater’s Dr Clement Mukwasi, the project addresses the need for expanded infrastructure and reflects broader investment trends turning Victoria Falls into a leading African tourism destination.

Source: Zambezi Helicopter Company Invests US$2.1 Million in New Victoria Falls Aviation Hub (07/05/25)

International visitors flock to Vic Falls as tourist numbers surge

 

The Victoria Falls Rainforest has seen a rise in tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2025, recording 61 139 visitors compared to 59 718 over the same period in 2024.

In a statement released on Monday, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said the increase was largely driven by a surge in international tourism, with arrivals reaching 47,633 in 2025, up from 44,110 the previous year.

However, domestic tourism declined, with numbers falling from 15,608 in 2024 to 13,506 this year.

“Key source markets driving international interest in Victoria Falls include Europe—particularly the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Germany—largely due to the availability of dedicated tour packages,” said Zimparks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo.

Farawo added that enhanced accessibility, following the expansion of Victoria Falls Airport and the introduction of new routes including direct flights from Frankfurt, had further fuelled interest from German tourists.

“The implementation of the KAZA UniVisa, which simplifies cross-border travel between Zimbabwe and Zambia, has also played a pivotal role in encouraging visitors to explore both sides of the Falls, offering a more seamless experience for tourists from many countries,” he said.

Farawo noted that regionally, South Africa remains the largest source of visitors, followed closely by Botswana, contributing to the continued growth of the tourism sector in Victoria Falls.

Source: International visitors flock to Vic Falls as tourist numbers surge (06/05/25)

Mnangagwa Administration Caught In Embarrassing Lie Over Victoria Falls Road Project

 In an embarrassing about-face, Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has publicly retracted a false claim that road construction contractors were already on site for the much-anticipated Victoria Falls project. The Ministry has since admitted that the tender process is still underway and no contractors have been deployed.

The blunder, disseminated via the Ministry’s official Twitter account on April 29 at 9:18 a.m., cited a state media report titled “Victoria Falls contractors on site” — a claim that turned out to be inaccurate. After facing swift backlash, the Ministry issued a formal apology and explanation, attributing the misinformation to a breach of internal protocol.

In its public statement, the Ministry wrote:

“The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development wishes to unreservedly apologise to members of the public and all its stakeholders for posting a twitter message containing wrong information on 29 April 2025 at 0918 Hours.”

The Ministry explained that the false information had been posted without proper verification from technical officials:

“One of the officers assigned the duty to manage the Ministry’s twitter handle conceded and acknowledged that she breached the internal Standard Operating Procedures of information verification,” the statement read.

Setting the record straight, the Ministry clarified the actual status of the project:

“The tender which was issued on 17 April 2025 closed on 29 April 2025 at 1100 Hours. After the closure of the bidding period, an evaluation committee will sit, whereupon the outcome will be sent to the Special Procurement Oversight Committee for oversight of the tender process before awarding the same to successful bidders.”

Permanent Secretary Eng. P.J. Makumbe, who signed off on the statement, reinforced the Ministry’s commitment to accurate public communication:

“The Ministry remains committed to the need for sharing correct information to members of the public.”

The incident has reignited criticism of the government’s infrastructure communication strategies, with observers raising concerns about professionalism and transparency within key departments.

Source: Mnangagwa Administration Caught In Embarrassing Lie Over Victoria Falls Road Project (01/05/25)

Tourist Train Collision: Victoria Falls-Bound Tourists Escape Injury, Staff Hospitalised

 VICTORIA FALLS – A serious train collision just outside Gwanda early this morning has left 18 people hospitalised and raised urgent questions about Zimbabwe’s rail safety standards in 2025.

The incident involved a luxury Rovos Rail passenger train carrying 47 international tourists en route to Victoria Falls and a Bulawayo-Beitbridge Railway (BBR) goods train.

The collision occurred at approximately 6:30 AM, eight kilometres outside Gwanda. While initial reports had suggested tourists were among the injured, railway officials later confirmed that all casualties were staff members. Fourteen of the injured were taken to Gwanda Provincial Hospital, while four were transferred to Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo for further treatment. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

The Rovos Rail train had been travelling from South Africa, offering a luxury cross-border experience for tourists seeking to witness the grandeur of Victoria Falls. With the rail journey now interrupted, the tourists will complete the remainder of the 435-kilometre trip by road on Friday.

However, the rerouting comes with its own frustrations. The rail operator has warned that the journey could take up to eight hours due to deteriorating road conditions between Gwanda and Victoria Falls. Many have voiced concerns about the poor state of infrastructure and the impact this may have on Zimbabwe’s reputation as a premier tourist destination.

Rovos Rail has issued a statement apologising for the disruption and confirmed that passengers will receive a full refund for the journey.

While the cause of the collision has not yet been officially established, an investigation is underway. Transport and Infrastructure officials have been dispatched to the scene, and the Railways Inspectorate is expected to provide a preliminary report in the coming days.

Observers are questioning how such an accident could occur on a mainline in 2025, given technological advancements in signalling and train tracking systems. Critics say the accident is symptomatic of deeper issues in the country’s state-run infrastructure, which has suffered years of neglect, underinvestment, and alleged corruption.

“This is not just about a train crash,” said one transport analyst. “It’s about the failure to modernise and maintain our transport systems—something tourists and citizens alike are now paying the price for.”

Public sentiment online and in local communities has been fierce, with many Zimbabweans expressing embarrassment and outrage over the incident.

“We are a nation that boasts about Victoria Falls as a world-class destination,” said one Victoria Falls-based tour operator. “But how do we expect the world to take us seriously when we can’t even ensure the safety of a luxury train ride or offer decent roads as a backup?”

Others have pointed fingers at systemic corruption within the transport ministry and associated parastatals, alleging that misappropriation of funds meant for infrastructure upgrades has left the country dangerously vulnerable to such accidents.

As the injured recover and the tourists prepare for a long road trip through Zimbabwe’s potholed highways, the spotlight now turns to the government’s response. The tourism industry, already reeling from inflation and power shortages, can ill afford another blow to its image.

This incident has not only exposed flaws in railway operations but also reignited debate about the broader decay of Zimbabwe’s public infrastructure—a situation many believe is the result of chronic mismanagement and unchecked greed.

For now, the nation holds its breath, hoping that investigations will yield answers—and accountability.

Source: Tourists Train Collision: Victoria Falls-Bound Tourists Escape Injury, Staff Hospitalised (1804/25)

Zimbabwe forced to deny comical pothole photo was shot along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road

HARARE – The government was on Monday forced to deny claims a viral image of three people believed to be tourists posing for a photo while sitting inside a huge pothole was taken along the heavily damaged Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway.

The road, which links the rest of the country to the iconic Victoria Falls, has seen years of neglect by government leading to huge craters developing on the tired infrastructure.

Calls to have the road restored to its former usable state have seemed to go unheeded by authorities who have taken their time to make the necessary repairs.

Perhaps to illustrate the extent of the damage, three cheeky tourists took an amusing image while seated snugly inside a giant crater, forcing an embarrassed government into denial after the image went viral on social media.

In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development denied the image was taken along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway.

“It has come to our attention that a social media post is circulating, showing 3 people posing in a pothole on a road claimed to be part of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway,” said the ministry.

“While we acknowledge that certain sections of the highway are in dire need of rehabilitation, the images in the post do not correspond to any section of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway.

“The sections requiring urgent attention are currently being addressed through a collaborative effort between the Department of Roads and Bitumen World. Work is already underway, with teams camped in Hwange, Halfway, and Insiza to ensure the road is rehabilitated efficiently.”

The Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road also links the rest of the country to the touristy Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s biggest wildlife habitat.

It is regarded a major source of wealth for a country heavily dependent on tourism.

Source: Zimbabwe forced to deny comical pothole photo was shot along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road (11/03/25).