Chiredzi is a town located in the South East of Zimbabwe in the Masvingo Province. The town, Chiredzi, together with its sister town Triangle is a major centre of sugar production in the country. The name Chiredzi means “a place for line fishing”. Many parts of Chiredzi is unfit for agricultural production except sugar cane and small grains production hence Gonarezhou National Park was established. The Growth of the town is mainly attributed to the sugar cane industry.
In terms of surface area, Chiredzi is one of the largest areas in the country with over 95% of the area taken by the Gonarezhou National Park and the Conservancies like Malilangwe and Save Valley. Chiredzi is served by a small international airport at Buffalo Range called the Buffalo Range Airport and to other road port entries that is the Beitbridge- Border Post (Zimbabwe boardering South Africa) and Sango Border Post (Zimbabwe boadering Mozambiques).
The region falls as a Tourism Designated Zone meaning it has room for investment potential and infrastructural development. In terms of uniqueness, the first ever Trans Frontier Conservation Area is found in South Eastern Lowveld consisting of Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique.
South Eastern Lowveld region is a central hub for cultural tourism second to Bulawayo. Chiredzi has two vibrant surviving Community Based Tourism projects namely the Khambako Cultural Home by Malilangwe Trust and the Mahenye Cultural Village by Chilo Lodge.
The area receives an average 450mm of rainfall per annum. Crops like maize are not guaranteed of good yields. Livestock farming is ideal for the area.
The area is sparsely populated with the dominate people being the Shangaan and most people speak shangan a dialect that is related to both Zulu and Ndebele. The area is a hub for Cultural Tourism with the popular Shangaan and they celebrate the following cultural events annually:
• Great Limpopo Cultural Fair
• The Machangana Festival
• The Ndau Festival
• The Saila Traditional Fishing Ceremony
Founded by Clive Stockil, Chilo Gorge is a luxury safari lodge on the edge of Gonarezhou. Each lodge is light and spacious, simple and elegant, yet with all the comforts of home. When you’re looking to spend time with other guests, the main lodge has everything you need; a shaded swimming pool, a sumptuous lounge, a library, a bar and dining room, all surrounded by beautifully tended gardens.
Kingfisher is an exclusive Guest House tucked away in the little town of Chiredzi in the South East corner of Zimbabwe close to Gonorezhou National Park. It is adjacent to the cane fields of Hippo Valley Estates where you will find the infamous Mteri Dam, well known for its excellent bass fishing.
From the moment you arrive at The Nesbitt Arms you realise this is not your run-of-the-mill establishment. The main building, an attractive mix of Tudor-style black beams and hand-hewn stone, is set against a hill known as "Chigaripasi". Appropriately, this is Shona for "sit and rest awhile" – and, soon after checking in, this is precisely what you’ll find yourself doing.
In 1994, the not-for-profit Malilangwe Trust was established as a result of the largest ever single donor investment in Zimbabwe, in order to purchase, protect, and manage the extraordinary wilderness area next to the Gonarezhou National Park in southeastern Zimbabwe.
One of the most prominent and enduring natural features of Gonarezhou National Park is the beautiful Chilojo Cliffs. These magnificent red sandstone cliffs have been formed through eons of erosion and overlook the scenic Runde River valley.
Gonarezhou National Park is situated in the south eastern lowveld of Zimbabwe and covers an area in excess of 5 000 square kilometres. "Gonarezhou" meaning "Place of many Elephants" is an extremely scenic Park full of rugged and beautiful landscapes. Alternative folklore suggests the are was named for the herbalists who would stock their medicines in tusks (known as gona in the Shona language).
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve is set on 130 000 acres of pristine wilderness in south-eastern Zimbabwe, bordering Gonarezhou National Park. It is a diverse and beautiful piece of Africa, boasting geological diversity, habitat variability and a wide variety of plant and animal species. Malilangwe is home to a healthy population of endangered black and white rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo herds. Lions, cheetah, leopard, hyena and painted hunting dogs keep the herbivore population in check.
The Save Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe’s southern lowveld area forms part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which straddles the borders of Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa. The Save River forms the conservancy’s eastern boundary and varying altitudes in the valley and terrain have created distinct habitats for flora and fauna. The Save Valley landscape was once dominated by a large livestock operation that pushed out native wildlife and degraded much of the land.
