Sport — The President His Excellency Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa is set to headline the inaugural KUZANA Sport and Creative Economy Expo of Zimbabwe (SCEEZ) in Bulawayo next month, as Government steps up efforts to position sport, arts and culture as contributors to economic growth and employment.
The five-day Expo, running from 7 to 11 October 2026 at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Conference Centre, will bring together policymakers, athletes, creatives, entrepreneurs, investors and industry players under the theme “From Talent to GDP: Driving Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 through Sport and Creative Industries.”
President Mnangagwa is scheduled to officially open the Expo on 9 October, giving national prominence to an initiative centred on one of the country’s growing development conversations — how Zimbabwe can turn its vast sporting and creative talent into sustainable economic value.
The Expo comes as Government increasingly looks beyond the traditional role of sport and the arts as entertainment, placing greater emphasis on their potential to generate jobs, businesses, investment, tourism and exports.
The country’s broader development agenda has increasingly recognised the economic potential of sport, arts, culture and creativity.
President His Excellency Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa has repeatedly emphasised that these sectors must contribute to Zimbabwe’s economic transformation and Vision 2030 objectives.
Speaking at the launch of the 2026 National Culture Month in Bulawayo, the President described culture and heritage as important pillars of socio-economic transformation and highlighted the potential of creative industries to create jobs, support tourism and contribute to economic growth.
That position closely mirrors the philosophy behind KUZANA SCEEZY.
Rather than treating creativity purely as cultural expression, the Expo seeks to explore how music, fashion, film, sport, design, entertainment and other creative activities can generate measurable economic value.
Under National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), Government has identified job creation, youth development and entrepreneurship, alongside the growth of the sport, creative and cultural industries, as important national priorities.
The programme falls under the mandate of the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, led by Hon. Lt. Gen. Rtd. Amb. AN. Sanyatwe.
The Ministry’s stated vision is to develop “excelling and dynamic sport, recreation, arts and culture industries by 2030.” Its mandate includes creating an environment that supports the development of sports, recreation, arts and culture, promoting entrepreneurship, strengthening institutions and attracting investment into the sectors.
For Hon. Lt. Gen. Rtd. Amb. AN. Sanyatwe, the development of sport and the creative economy requires more than identifying talented individuals.
It requires stronger institutions, professional administration, infrastructure, investment and opportunities for people to build sustainable careers.
The Ministry has also been pursuing initiatives aimed at strengthening cultural and creative spaces, with the establishment of culture centres being positioned as a way of developing talent, preserving heritage, empowering young people and creating sustainable livelihoods within the creative economy.
The central idea behind KUZANA SCEEZY is captured in its theme: From Talent to GDP.
Zimbabwe has produced internationally recognised athletes, musicians, filmmakers, performers, designers and other creative professionals.
Yet the economic value generated from that talent can extend much further.
A successful athlete creates opportunities for coaches, trainers, physiotherapists, sportswear companies, broadcasters, sponsors, event organisers and media professionals.
A musician supports producers, sound engineers, photographers, videographers, promoters, designers, digital marketers and distributors.
The same multiplier effect exists throughout film, fashion, visual arts, publishing and digital content.
The objective is therefore to develop an ecosystem in which talent creates wider economic activity.
Sport has increasingly become a global business, with revenue generated through broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing, merchandising, tourism, advertising, digital content and event management.
Zimbabwe has considerable potential in this area.
The country already has major sporting brands, passionate supporters and a growing generation of young athletes.
The challenge is developing the infrastructure and commercial systems capable of converting this interest into sustainable economic activity.
The Sport Industry Conference at KUZANA SCEEZY will provide a platform for stakeholders to examine these opportunities and consider how investment and professionalisation can strengthen the sector.
The Government’s NDS2 framework has already established measurable targets around increased investment in sport and recreation, improved sporting facilities and greater contribution of sport to GDP.
The Creative Economy Conference will similarly examine the economic potential of Zimbabwe’s creative sector.
For years, many creatives have operated within informal or fragmented markets.
The growth of digital platforms has opened new opportunities, but sustainable commercialisation still depends on access to finance, professional management, intellectual-property protection, infrastructure and international markets.
Government’s creative-industry agenda recognises the importance of investment in the production, marketing and consumption of arts, culture and heritage goods and services.
KUZANA SCEEZY therefore provides an opportunity to bring these conversations together with the private sector and potential investors.
Young people are expected to be among the major beneficiaries of a stronger sports and creative economy.
The sectors offer multiple entry points for entrepreneurship, from competing and performing to managing events, producing content, developing technology, selling merchandise and providing professional services.
President Mnangagwa’s NDS2 agenda specifically places job creation, entrepreneurship, youth and women empowerment alongside the growth of sport, creative and cultural industries.
This makes the Expo relevant not only to established sporting and creative personalities, but also to emerging entrepreneurs seeking to build businesses around their skills.
Bulawayo is a fitting host for the inaugural Expo.
The city has a deep sporting and cultural heritage and has produced generations of musicians, artists, performers and athletes.
The timing of KUZANA SCEEZY alongside the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair also provides an opportunity to connect the creative and sporting sectors with Zimbabwe’s wider business community.
The Expo is expected to bring together investors, entrepreneurs, athletes, creatives, policymakers and other stakeholders, creating opportunities for partnerships and new business relationships.
The sporting programme will include a major football attraction, with Highlanders and Dynamos scheduled to meet in a Centenary Soccer Match at Barbourfields Stadium on 11 October.
The fixture adds a major sporting dimension to an Expo whose wider objective is to demonstrate the commercial and social value of sport.
A major football match can generate activity across accommodation, transport, hospitality, food, merchandising, broadcasting, media and entertainment.
Such events therefore demonstrate why sport can be viewed as an economic ecosystem rather than simply a match played for competition.
KUZANA SCEEZY comes at a time when Zimbabwe is seeking to diversify economic opportunities and expand the contribution of sectors capable of generating employment and entrepreneurship.
The Government’s Vision 2030 framework identifies sport, recreation, arts and culture as areas that can contribute positively to economic growth and development.
For the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, this means creating the policy, institutional and infrastructure environment in which talent can thrive.
For Hon. Lt. Gen. Rtd. Amb. AN. Sanyatwe, the task includes strengthening the systems supporting sport, arts and culture while creating opportunities for investment and participation.
For President His Excellency Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa, the wider objective is to harness Zimbabwe’s human and cultural capital as part of the country’s journey towards Vision 2030.
KUZANA SCEEZY 2026 is therefore positioned as more than a five-day showcase.
It is a conversation about the future of Zimbabwean talent.
It asks how a young athlete can move from a local playing field to a sustainable professional career.
It asks how a musician, filmmaker, designer or artist can turn creativity into a viable enterprise.
And it asks how investors, government, businesses and communities can build an ecosystem in which Zimbabwean talent creates value far beyond the individual performer.
With President His Excellency Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa scheduled to officially open the Expo on 9 October, and Hon. Lt. Gen. Rtd. Amb. AN. Sanyatwe leading the responsible Ministry, the inaugural KUZANA SCEEZY will place Zimbabwe’s sports and creative economy at the centre of a national conversation about jobs, entrepreneurship, investment and economic transformation.
From talent to GDP — the challenge now is to build the industries, institutions and investment structures that allow Zimbabwean talent to create lasting economic value.