By Tendai Chisiri
Harare – Zimbabwe is increasingly using football as a gateway to showcase the country to the continent and beyond, with a busy calendar of regional and continental events drawing visitors from across Africa.
The Zimbabwe Football Association [ZIFA] says the influx of executives, players, officials and supporters for tournaments and congresses is boosting tourism, creating business for local enterprises, and changing perceptions about the country.
The ongoing COSAFA Congress in Harare is the latest example, bringing football leaders from Southern Africa to Harare for meetings and discussions about the future of the game. ZIFA said the event also gives delegates a chance to experience Zimbabwe’s culture and hospitality firsthand.
“The connection between sport and tourism is powerful,” ZIFA noted. “Every football tournament creates movement – of teams, supporters, officials, media, sponsors and families. Hotels fill up. Restaurants welcome new guests. Airports become busier. Local businesses benefit. But beyond the economic impact lies something equally important: perception. Every visitor leaves with a story about Zimbabwe.”
Over the past year, ZIFA has hosted the CAF African Schools Football Championship Continental Finals, the COSAFA Under-17 Boys Championship and the GIFT Cup. The association said many participants, including schoolgirls from Burkina Faso and Eswatini, were visiting Zimbabwe for the first time.
For some, it was high-profile administrators like CAF President Patrice Motsepe experiencing the country’s football environment directly. ZIFA said many visitors departed as ambassadors for Zimbabwe.
Speaking at a Welcome Cocktail Reception ahead of the COSAFA Congress, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Barbara Rwodzi said sport continues to open doors for the country.
“Sport has the power to bring people together and to showcase Zimbabwe to the world. Every tournament and every event gives visitors an opportunity to experience our people, our culture and our hospitality. Football is helping open Zimbabwe to Africa and beyond,” she said.
ZIFA President Nqobile Magwizi said the association is positioning football beyond the pitch as a tool for partnerships, tourism and national branding.
“As ZIFA, we believe football must go beyond the pitch. The game creates opportunities for partnerships, tourism, cultural exchange and national branding. Every event we host is an opportunity to showcase Zimbabwe as an organised, welcoming and forward-looking destination,” Magwizi said.
ZIFA added that successfully hosting regional and continental events requires planning, infrastructure, coordination and collaboration between government, football authorities and the private sector, as well as trust. The association said the confidence shown by CAF and COSAFA in awarding Zimbabwe hosting rights reflects the country’s growing reputation as a dependable football destination.
“As more tournaments, congresses and football activities make their way to Zimbabwe, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: football is no longer just bringing trophies and competition to the country. It is bringing people. And through those people, football is helping tell Zimbabwe’s story to the rest of Africa and the world.”
Picture Credit: ZIFA
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