By Zachary Gava
Harare, (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia are working on a joint tourism promotional campaign ahead of the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup that the trio will host, in a coordinated effort to market Southern Africa as a single destination and maximize the economic opportunities presented by the global sporting event.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said the three countries would soon unveil a joint campaign once modalities had been finalized, signalling a regional approach to attracting international visitors, cricket fans and investors ahead of the tournament.
Responding to questions from the media on Monday about what Zimbabwe was doing to position itself ahead of the competition, Minister Rwodzi said the country was working in line with guidance from regional leaders to promote the three host nations collectively rather than pursuing separate campaigns.
She said the initiative was informed by the need for the three neighbouring countries to speak with one voice, given that they would collectively host the prestigious International Cricket Council (ICC) competition.
“We are not supposed to be speaking about one country only, but three. We are not supposed to speak about us (Zimbabwe), Namibia or South Africa separately, but bring them together,” she said.
Minister Rwodzi said the three countries were still working on the modalities of the campaign, adding that details would be communicated when the joint initiative was officially unveiled.
“When we unveil the campaign, I do not want to pre-empt that because we are still working on the modalities,” she said.
She added that the initiative was in line with the broader vision of regional cooperation, with the three nations seeking to present Southern Africa as a united destination to the international cricket fraternity.
The joint approach is expected to provide an opportunity for the countries to leverage the tournament’s international profile to showcase their tourism attractions, hospitality facilities, cultural heritage and investment opportunities.
The 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be the 14th edition of the global 50-over cricket showpiece, scheduled to run from October 2 to November 21, 2027.
The tournament will feature 14 teams playing 57 matches across 12 venues in the three host countries, marking the return of the men’s Cricket World Cup to African soil after 24 years. The last time the continent hosted the competition was in 2003, when South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya jointly staged the tournament.
The ICC has adopted the tournament brand “Three Nations, One Heartbeat,” reflecting the spirit of unity and shared identity underpinning the three-country hosting arrangement.
New Ziana
