Air Zimbabwe increased flights between Harare and Dar es Salaam to thrice-weekly on November 6.
The airline previously operated services to Dar es Salaam on Tuesdays and Saturdays and has now introduced an additional flight on Thursdays to cater for growing demand.
“This enhancement offers greater flexibility and convenience, particularly for business and leisure travellers connecting to Tanzania’s largest city and economic hub,” the airline said in a statement.
African Bush Camps has announced that its Expedition Experiences will be phased out over the next two years as part of the company’s strategic evolution towards a consolidated luxury portfolio.
Zambezi Expeditions in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe, will be the first to transition with 2025 being its final year of operation under African Bush Camps. Kanga Expeditions, also in Mana Polls, will follow during 2026 while Somalisa Expeditions in Hwange, Zimbabwe, and Linyanti Expeditions in Botswana will remain operational until the end of 2026.
“This is not a farewell born of loss but an evolution of who we have become,” said Beks Ndlovu, Founder and CEO of African Bush Camps. “As African Bush Camps has grown into a leading luxury brand, we must now align our resources with Experiences that can best sustain the twin pillars of our purpose: sharing and conserving Africa, together, while uplifting our communities.”
Ndlovu explained that, while the Expedition Experiences have been an integral part of the company’s identity, their small scale limits their long-term sustainability. “They require the same effort and resources as our Signature and Icon Experiences yet they cannot sustain the same level of work we are committed to nor can they reward the people involved in proportion to their energy and dedication,” he said.
African Bush Camps is exploring opportunities for new operators to take on the properties and continue their legacy. “We hope they become seeds for those who have long dreamed of stepping into this world but have lacked the means. In this way, our Expedition Experiences may yet inspire new beginnings,” said Ndlovu.
Guests with existing bookings will be accommodated at equivalent or upgraded camps at no additional cost:
The Zimbabwean tourism sector is celebrating a major global endorsement after Forbes Magazine named the country the “Best Country to Visit in 2025.” Industry leaders and the government hail this as a powerful validation of the nation’s tourism revival and its “Open for Business” policy.
Key Reactions and Impacts:
The Forbes listing is seen as a transformative moment that cements Zimbabwe’s reputation as a safe, diverse, and world-class destination, with the sector confident that “the best is yet to come.”
Albida Camp, a new self-catering property, has opened on the Tashinga Peninsula of Matusadona National Park in Zimbabwe.
The camp features three East African-style safari tents – each facing east to capture the sunrise over Lake Kariba. The tents are equipped with en-suite bathrooms, flushing toilets and hot showers. Interiors combine authentic safari furnishings and high-quality linens.
At the centre of camp, an open-sided lounge and dining area offers uninterrupted views of Lake Kariba’s sunsets. There is also a fully equipped kitchen. Activities include guided walks, game drives or fishing excursions.
For groups of more than six guests, there is an additional ablution block providing two showers and two toilets for guests pitching their own tents nearby. Extra tents and bedding can be arranged on request.
The camp is available on an exclusive-use basis for a minimum of four adults.
A new Zimbabwean start-up, Flycristal Airways, is expected to launch charter flights on domestic, regional and international routes from December this year.
Johannes Simau, Founder of Flycristal Airways, said that the company would begin with a hybrid model focusing on passenger and cargo operations, and once the brand became more established, it would likely split into two separate brands.
Simau said the project was intended to support business travellers in Southern Africa. “The idea formed in 2013 from entrepreneurs who can sometimes waste a day travelling by road to buy and move products. By introducing a flight service, entrepreneurs can travel to their destination, stay for a short while and travel back a couple of hours later, while their product continues on the road.”
The company has already received approval to operate domestic, regional and international routes from Harare. The aircraft on these routes will be ACMI-leased (wet lease) aircraft.
The domestic routes will be Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, which are expected to be served by an Embraer 120.
Regional services will be Johannesburg, Cape Town, Windhoek, Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Lusaka and Lilongwe, which will be served by an Embraer 145. However, Simau said there were plans to bring in an Embraer 190.
The international routes will be London, Mumbai, Dubai and Guangzhou, with a B777-300 expected to serve these routes.
The target date for scheduled services is December 1 for regional flights with international flights to follow after.
“The final steps include working on marketing the brand, finalising some of the lease arrangements and looking into more investments,” said Simau.
Conservation groups and tourism leaders are warning that Victoria Falls faces a severe threat to its World Heritage status due to rampant, poorly planned development. UNESCO’s 2024 analysis identifies tourism infrastructure as a primary pressure, criticizing Zimbabwe’s government for failing to address concerns about commercial projects in ecologically sensitive zones.
Key stakeholders highlight a critical crossroads: while investor interest in Zimbabwe’s tourism is soaring, the concentration of new lodges, hotels, and activities (like helicopter tours) within the fragile area around the Falls is escalating. Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority’s own management plan ranks tourism development as the “biggest threat,” citing worries over inadequate environmental impact assessments and the challenge of managing visitor numbers.
Industry experts warn that allowing development to be driven by greed rather than strategic planning is a “recipe for disaster,” risking an irreversible loss of the destination’s character. There is a united call for an integrated management plan between Zimbabwe and Zambia and a responsible framework that balances economic growth with the preservation of the iconic site for future generations.
Travellers to Zimbabwe must now complete arrival forms online before departure as paper forms are no longer used.
Visitors from visa-exempt and visa-required countries can submit their declarations online prior to travel.
Forms can also be completed at immigration kiosks on arrival in Zimbabwe but the government has warned that this may cause delays at immigration. Travellers are advised to complete the form in advance at https://evisa.gov.zw/app/index.html.
Air Zimbabwe’s Harare-Mutare-Victoria Falls service will now be a permanent route, following its success earlier this month.
The airline launched the temporary route to facilitate travel for the Sanganai/Hlanganani/ Kumbanai World Tourism Expo, which took place in Mutare from September 10-12
“This route has received an overwhelmingly positive response across the board. It has evolved from an event-specific service to a permanent arrangement, providing essential air access to the Eastern Highlands,” said Air Zimbabwe CEO, Edmund Makona.
Air Zimbabwe will operate the flights daily on the route Harare, Mutare, Victoria Falls.
A new tour operator, the Zimbabwe Safari Collective, has been launched to stimulate tourism to a selection of five camps and lodges owned and operated by Zimbabwean citizens.
The properties promoted by the group are located in Mana Pools and Hwange National Park, and at Lake Kariba. Camps include Chitembe Main Camp and Chitembe Tented Camp in Mana Pools, Malindi Station Camp in Hwange, Makuti Mountain Camp in the remote Hurungwe Safari Area, and Cutty Sark Hotel at Lake Kariba.
The collective offers a variety of standard, specialist and expedition safari packages ranging from three to nine nights, and self-drive safaris of between six and 13 nights.
Activities in the packages range from game drives and bush walks to boat cruises, fishing, para-sailing and water skiing, along with cultural and conservation experiences.
The initiative highlights its commitment to:
Local tourism buyers from across Zimbabwe have begun a series of familiarization tours in Nyanga ahead of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo. The initiative is designed to deepen product knowledge and help package the Eastern Highlands as a premier destination for marketing.
The tour program featured site inspections at key hospitality properties, including Mountain Lakes Lodge and the Montclair Resort. Participants also explored major natural and cultural attractions within Nyanga National Park, such as Mount Nyangani (Zimbabwe’s highest peak), the scenic Nyamuziwa Falls, and ancient Pit Structures. A visit to the Rhodes Nyanga Museum completed the itinerary.
These pre-expo tours aim to equip local tourism operators with first-hand experience to better market the region’s offerings to both domestic and international visitors.
