In the shifting global economy, culture has emerged not just as a marker of identity, but as a currency of trade, diplomacy, and survival.
For Zimbabwe, a nation often framed in terms of political and economic crises, the hidden wealth of its heritage arts and cultural practices particularly from marginalised groups offers untapped potential for economic beneficiation.
From the Venda sculptors in Beitbridge to Tonga basket weavers in Binga, Kalanga performers in Plumtree, and the Ndau oral poets in Chipinge, the margins of Zimbabwean society carry a cultural reservoir that, if harnessed, could reposition the nation’s economy and global image.
Zimbabwe’s 16 officially recognised languages are more than linguistic expressions; they are intellectual capital. Each language carries idioms, metaphors, and rhythms that can enrich literature, music, theatre, and digital content.
For instance, Ndau oral traditions could be digitised into multilingual podcasts for global streaming platforms, while Venda traditional dances could be reimagined in contemporary choreography for international festivals.
Globally, countries like South Korea leveraged K-pop’s eclectic infusion of local and Western styles to dominate global cultural markets.
Similarly, Zimbabwe’s cultural eclecticism, if creatively curated, could generate significant export revenue.
The arts are not only aesthetic but emotional economic channels through which communities heal, celebrate, and resist.
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Consider the mbira in Chipinge or Masvingo, long associated with spiritual ceremonies but increasingly recognised as therapeutic in mental health interventions.
Globally, initiatives in Canada have shown how indigenous drumming fosters community resilience and wellness.
Zimbabwe could similarly commercialise its traditional musical forms within wellness industries, exporting cultural therapy practices while empowering local custodians of heritage.
The paradox of Zimbabwe’s cultural economy lies in its neglect of the very groups that hold authentic heritage. Tonga basket weavers in Binga often sell their intricate works at exploitatively low prices to middlemen, while the same baskets fetch hundreds of dollars in galleries abroad.
If value addition processes such as branding, certification, and cooperative marketing are institutionalised, these marginalised groups could move from survivalist production to sustainable livelihoods.
For example, the Maasai in Kenya and Tanzania have gained global branding power from beadwork and attire, proving that authenticity sells when backed by proper marketing and intellectual property protection.
Women in marginalised rural communities remain central to cultural production. Ndau women produce herbal knowledge packaged through storytelling, while Kalanga women drive performance rituals that transmit values.
If invested in, these women can be empowered as both cultural entrepreneurs and educators. Rwanda’s experience with women-led cooperatives in weaving demonstrates how gendered craft economies can lift households from poverty.
Zimbabwe can adapt similar models, ensuring women in places like Plumtree or Honde Valley not only produce but also lead cooperatives tied to global fair-trade networks.
The exportation of Zimbabwean culture is not merely about artefacts but about narratives.
In a world oversaturated with Western cultural dominance, there is hunger for authentic, alternative voices.
Zimbabwe’s multilingual storytelling traditions could feed into global publishing, animation, and edutainment industries.
Imagine Ndau myths turned into Netflix animations, Venda rituals incorporated into global festivals, or Tonga oral histories captured in VR experiences for digital tourism.
Nigeria’s Nollywood offers a blueprint: it grew by telling local stories for global consumption. Zimbabwe has the narratives but it needs the platforms.
The arts also intersect directly with health. In Chipinge, traditional dances are therapeutic for community cohesion, while in Hwange, oral poetry helps in collective mourning and healing during droughts or losses.
Internationally, the World Health Organization has endorsed traditional and cultural art forms as critical tools in mental health interventions.
By exporting Zimbabwean heritage practices into global wellness industries be it through retreats, workshops, or cultural therapy exports, the nation can find new markets while affirming the dignity of marginalised healers and artists.
The fusion of art and education edutainment offers a revolutionary tool for cultural exports.
From gender equality messages embedded in folk songs to environmental conservation lessons taught through dance, Zimbabwe’s marginalised groups already practice edutainment informally.
Structuring these into formal programs that can be packaged for schools, NGOs, and digital platforms could create a dual market: education and entertainment. For instance, Tonga folklore on river ecosystems could be adapted into children’s animations promoting climate resilience products that can be sold both locally and abroad.
Yet challenges remain. Poor infrastructure in Binga, Chipinge, or Plumtree limits access to markets.
Intellectual property rights are weak, leaving cultural producers vulnerable.
There is also the risk of cultural appropriation, where external actors profit from heritage while local custodians remain impoverished.
Overcoming these requires robust policy frameworks, partnerships with international cultural agencies, and training programs that equip marginalised artists with digital and entrepreneurial skills.
Zimbabwe can reposition its marginalised communities as cultural exporters rather than passive custodians.
By establishing cultural export hubs in rural areas, linking cooperatives to international fair-trade networks, and leveraging digital platforms, the nation can transform its heritage into a global product.
This requires more than economic policy; it demands a re-imagining of art as both a survival tool and a development strategy.
* Raymond Millagre Langa is a Zimbabwean musician, poet, orator, and independent researcher who founded Indebo Edutainment, an initiative that fuses art with social consciousness. His creative work blends music, spoken word, and cultural activism to inspire dialogue on heritage, identity, and social transformation.
