BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
The inaugural ZimBho Purple Bloom and Pink Ribbons event featured six horse races as Zimbabwe seeks to revive horse racing as a tourism product and promote domestic travel.
Held at the Borrowdale Racecourse in Harare, the event was officially launched by the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Barbara Rwodzi, who commended Turf Culture Africa, in partnership with Mashonaland Turf Club and Magitare Trust, for working with the ministry to develop horse racing as a lifestyle tourism product.
The six races were headlined by the ZimBho Purple Bloom Cup and the CancerServe Pink Ribbon Cup, with the latter integrating breast cancer awareness into the tourism experience in the spirit of Pink October.
The event created a signature tourism experience by blending sport, fashion, culture, gastronomy, entertainment and hospitality.
Coinciding with the blooming of the Jacaranda trees, the event also sought to harness Harare’s seasonal beauty to promote domestic travel and position the capital as an attractive destination during the Jacaranda season and beyond.
Victor Kunonga performing
Musical performances by Jah Prayzah, Victor Kunonga, Feli Nandi and Shami Tuku complemented the races, demonstrating the potential of combining sporting heritage, culinary experiences and entertainment to create a distinctive seasonal attraction.
The initiative is also expected to support hospitality businesses and create employment opportunities through the development of tourism products that appeal to domestic visitors.
The event comes ahead of the 2026 Domestic Tourism Festive Season Campaign and supports the Government’s vision of growing the tourism sector into a US$10 billion economy by 2030, anchored on domestic tourism and heritage-based products.
