Purple Jacarandas Bloom into a New Tourism Experience for Harare
By Caroline Washaya Moyo
HARARE is turning its iconic purple jacaranda season into a tourism opportunity through the inaugural ZimBho Purple Bloom and Pink Ribbons, an event combining horse racing, fashion, music, gastronomy and cancer awareness.
Held at Borrowdale Racecourse and officially launched by the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Honourable Barbara Rwodzi, the event seeks to establish a distinctive seasonal attraction that celebrates the capital’s natural beauty while supporting local businesses and creating employment opportunities.
Minister Rwodzi commended Turf Culture Africa, in partnership with Mashonaland Turf Club and Magitare Trust, for working with the Ministry to revive horse racing as a lifestyle tourism product.
The initiative brings together sport, fashion, culture, gastronomy, entertainment and hospitality, creating an experience that extends beyond the racetrack. By coinciding with the jacaranda bloom, it also harnesses one of Harare’s most recognisable seasonal features to encourage domestic travel and showcase the city as a leisure destination.
The inaugural edition featured six horse races, headlined by the ZimBho Purple Bloom Cup and the CancerServe Pink Ribbon Cup. The latter incorporated breast cancer awareness into the festivities in recognition of Pink October, demonstrating how sporting events can provide a platform for important social causes.
Performances by Jah Prayzah, Victor Kunonga, Feli Nandi and Shami Tuku added to the occasion, illustrating the potential of combining sporting heritage with music and culinary experiences to create an appealing home-grown attraction.
The event also presents opportunities for hotels, restaurants, transport operators and other hospitality businesses to benefit from increased visitor spending, while creating opportunities for employment and enterprise development.
ZimBho Purple Bloom and Pink Ribbons comes ahead of the 2026 Domestic Tourism Festive Season Campaign and supports the Government’s ambition to grow the tourism industry into a US$10 billion economy by 2030, anchored on domestic tourism and heritage-based products.
Its launch reflects efforts to encourage Zimbabweans to explore their own country while broadening the range of experiences available to visitors. For Harare, the jacaranda season offers a natural marketing asset around which leisure, culture and entertainment can be packaged into a recognisable annual event.
With sustained collaboration between Government and the private sector, ZimBho Purple Bloom and Pink Ribbons has the potential to become a fixture on the capital’s events calendar, transforming the purple bloom into an opportunity for business growth and a stronger domestic tourism culture.
As the jacarandas colour Harare’s streets, the message is clear: the city’s seasonal beauty can be more than a spectacle. It can be a catalyst for tourism, investment, employment and economic growth.