The Second Great Zimbabwe Hall of Excellence
Inaugural Letter – To the Honourable Barbara Rwodzi (Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry) Harare, Zimbabwe, March 2026 – Women’s Month
Dear Honourable Minister Barbara Rwodzi,
From the heart of the Tete Getty Research Institute (TGRI) family, and on behalf of every Zimbabwean closely following the economic developments of the Second Great Zimbabwe, I write to you with the deepest respect and genuine joy.
On March 16, 2026, at the Harare International Conference Centre, you were honoured as the Overall Best Performing Cabinet Minister of 2025 during the Performance Contracts Signing and Awards Ceremony. The nation witnessed not just an award, but a powerful recognition of consistent, results-driven leadership that has lifted one of our most vital economic pillars—tourism and hospitality—to new heights.
Your record speaks for itself and aligns seamlessly with National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2, 2026–2030) and Vision 2030:
》Tourism recorded a 10% transformation in 2025, becoming one of the fastest-growing contributors to foreign currency earnings and job creation.
》You successfully attracted two major international awards for Zimbabwe, including your own recognition as Best African Tourism Minister of the Year at ITB Berlin 2026 — a global endorsement of your ability to position Zimbabwe as a premier destination.
》Under your stewardship, the sector has expanded community-based tourism initiatives, empowered rural economies through cultural and eco-tourism projects, and created sustainable livelihoods for thousands of families.
》You have championed climate resilience and sustainability in tourism, ensuring the sector contributes meaningfully to Zimbabwe’s green economy transition.
》Your leadership has improved ease of doing business in hospitality and tourism, attracting private investment and strengthening the sector’s role as a driver toward upper-middle-income status by 2030.
These are not abstract achievements. They translate into real economic participation: more young people employed as guides, chefs, artisans, and marketers; more rural communities earning from lodges, festivals, and wildlife conservation; more foreign currency flowing into the national economy to fund schools, hospitals, and roads. Every percentage point of tourism growth is a family lifted, a child in school, a dream realised.
As we come towards the end of Women’s Month, your success stands as living proof that Zimbabwean women are not just participants in our economic story—they are writing its most inspiring chapters. You embody the strength, vision, discipline, and grace that have always defined the women who quietly hold our nation together. Your journey reminds every girl and woman watching that excellence has no gender, and leadership has no limits when it is rooted in service to the people.
From Tete Getty
Honourable Minister, you have carried the pride of Zimbabwe with dignity and delivered results that will echo for generations. In a time when the world often overlooks the quiet power of women who serve, you have risen to shine brightly—not for applause, but for the upliftment of every citizen. Your award is richly deserved, deeply meaningful, and a source of national pride.
May your light continue to guide us. May your legacy inspire every young Zimbabwean woman who dreams of leading with purpose. And may the Second Great Zimbabwe rise stronger, fairer, and more prosperous because visionary women like you dared to believe it was possible. Zvinotendwa zvikuru!
With deepest admiration, gratitude, and love for our shared homeland,
Tete Getty—Founder, Tete Getty House & TGRI
On behalf of the TGRI family and all who follow the economic rise of the Second Great Zimbabwe | United Kingdom | March 2026
The Second Great Zimbabwe Hall of Excellence, Honouring those who build our nation with excellence, integrity, and service. This letter is the inaugural piece in a new TGRI series dedicated to celebrating Zimbabweans whose achievements advance our collective vision.
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