Post-Conference Tour to Masvingo: Great Zimbabwe and Serima Mission
Post-Conference Tour: Great Zimbabwe and Serima Mission
23–24 November 2026
This post-conference tour takes delegates south through the granite highlands of Masvingo to two sites that are central to Zimbabwe’s cultural, artistic, and spiritual heritage.
At Great Zimbabwe, delegates will explore the largest ancient stone structure in sub-Saharan Africa. Built between 1100 and 1450 AD and spanning nearly 800 hectares, the site encompasses the Hill Ruins, the Great Enclosure, and the Valley Ruins — each reflecting layered histories of power, ritual, trade, and everyday life. Constructed entirely without mortar, its monumental stone walls remain a remarkable feat of engineering. Once the centre of a vast trading network extending to China, India, and the Arabian Peninsula, and historically connected to Mapungubwe, Great Zimbabwe stands as both an architectural landmark and a powerful symbol of historical reclamation. Today, it remains a living sacred site and lends its name to the nation itself.
The visit to Great Zimbabwe resonates strongly with the conference theme, that proposes repair as a radical, plural, and ongoing practice grounded in relationality, care, and accountability.
Long misrepresented through colonial interpretations that denied its African origins, Great Zimbabwe today embodies the importance of restoring and re-centering African histories, knowledge systems, and narratives.
More than an archaeological landmark, Great Zimbabwe remains a living sacred site deeply connected to memory, spirituality, community, and landscape. Its inclusion in the program invites delegates to reflect on how heritage sites can challenge conventional museum frameworks and expand understandings of cultural stewardship, repair, and the relationship between people, histories, and place.
Great Zimbabwe National Monument (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
The trip will also include a visit to the Italian Chapel of St Francis of Assisi in Masvingo. Built in the early 1940s by Italian internees during the Second World War, the chapel is a moving testament to the region’s complex history. It commemorates the presence of German, Austrian, and Italian civilians who were offered refuge in the country during the war years.
The journey continues to Serima Mission, home to one of the continent’s most distinctive expressions of African sacred art. Under the guidance of Swiss missionary Father Hans Groeber, artists such as Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Cornelius Manguma, and Gabriel Hatugari developed a uniquely African visual language. Through carved wood, sculpted stone, and murals, Christian narratives were reimagined with striking originality and spiritual depth.
Together, these sites offer a compelling encounter with Zimbabwe’s history, spirituality, and artistic innovation.
The fee to attend the optional Post-Conference Tour is 540,00 € per participant.
Day 1 (Monday, 23 November) - Daily Schedule:
● 6:30 – Buses depart sharply from Harare Conference Hotels to Masvingo
● 8:30 – Comfort & Recess Stop
● 10:45 – Arrival at Great Zimbabwe
● 11:00 – 11:45 – Interactive Center Orientation Tour at Great Zimbabwe
● 12:00 – Hotel Check-in & Lunch
● 13:30 – 16:30 Physical Monument Tour (Great Zimbabwe Ruins Complex)
19:00 Onward – Networking Dinner & Leisure
Day 2 (Tuesday, 24 November) - Daily Schedule:
● 07:00 – Breakfast & Check-Out
● 08:30 – 9:45 – Artist Studio Visits in Masvingo: Sky Salanje Studio, Felix Shumba Studio
● 10:00 – Departure for Serima Mission
● 11:30 – 12:45 – Visit to St. Mary’s Church (Serima Mission)
● 13:00 – Return journey to Harare
● 16:00 – Arrival in Harare (Central Conference Hotels)
*Sensible shoes are recommended