Discover
The identity of the nation
Zimbabwe is a southern African country that carries in its own name the memory of Great Zimbabwe, the ancient stone kingdom that flourished centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Today, the vast majority of the population identifies as Christian, and faith is deeply woven into everyday life, from family to politics, from countryside to city.
The country’s recent history is marked by decades of struggle: first against British colonial rule, then against the white minority government, until independence was won more than forty years ago. In recent decades, a turbulent land reform and one of the worst hyperinflations ever recorded in the world pushed millions of Zimbabweans abroad in search of work, leaving families divided between their homeland and the diaspora.
Church life is vibrant and visible: open-air services, all-night vigils, and steady growth of Pentecostal and Apostolic churches. But part of this faith unknowingly mixes with beliefs inherited from the ancestors: fear of spirits, the search for traditional healers, and, in some Apostolic groups, doctrines that justify marrying off girls while still children. The missionary challenge in Zimbabwe today is less about proclaiming the name of Christ for the first time and more about deepening a gospel that truly frees people from fear and religious syncretism.
Pockets that remain little reached still exist: isolated indigenous communities in the Zambezi Valley, small groups without a church of their own, and the country’s deaf community, which numbers tens of thousands of people with little access to the gospel in their own sign language. These are small groups next to the country’s Christian majority, but each one represents lives still waiting to hear and understand the message of Christ in their own language.
Despite the economic crisis and emigration, Zimbabwe remains a nation of resilient faith, with a welcoming, orderly, and deeply religious people. A church that grows more mature in discernment and freer from fear has the potential to influence the whole Southern Africa region.
- Before the arrival of Europeans, the territory was the center of Great Zimbabwe, a stone kingdom that flourished between the 11th and 15th centuries and gave the country its name.
- 1830 The Ndebele, fleeing the Zulu kingdom, settle in the west of the territory and subjugate local Shona peoples.
- 1888-1890 A British colonization company occupies the territory, which becomes known as Rhodesia.
- 1896-1897 The Ndebele and Shona rebel against colonial rule in the First Chimurenga (war of liberation), which is harshly suppressed.
- 1923 Southern Rhodesia becomes a self-governing British colony.
- 1930s African Pentecostal and Apostolic churches begin to spread across the country, blending Christian faith with ancestral traditions.
- 1965 The white minority government unilaterally declares Rhodesia's independence.
- 1966-1979 Second Chimurenga: war of liberation against white minority rule.
- 1980 Independence under a Black majority; the country is renamed Zimbabwe.
- 2000 A forced land reform destabilizes agriculture and the economy.
- 2008 The country experiences one of the worst hyperinflations ever recorded in world history.
- 2017 End of nearly four decades of the same government after a military intervention.
- 2024 A new currency, the ZiG, is launched in an attempt to stabilize the economy.
- Today A Christian-majority country with a vibrant church, but also facing challenges of economic instability and religious syncretism in part of its churches.
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Englishofficial language of administration, education, and business
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Shonaspoken by the majority of the population, mainly in the center, east, and north of the country
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Ndebelesecond most widely spoken native language, especially in the west, in the Bulawayo region
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Other native languagesthe country recognizes 16 official languages, including Tonga, Kalanga, Nambya, and sign language
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa, dominated by the central plateau (Highveld), which crosses the territory from southwest to northeast between savannas and granite hills, all the way to the dramatic border of the Zambezi River, where Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, plunges down. To the east, the Eastern Highlands bring a cooler climate and lush landscapes; to the south and north, lower and hotter lands hold parks such as Hwange, one of Africa's largest elephant sanctuaries.
Major cities
- HarareCapital, political, economic, and cultural center
- BulawayoSecond largest city, industrial hub and cultural heart of the Ndebele
- MutareGateway to the Eastern Highlands, near the border with Mozambique
- GweruCentral city, agricultural and industrial hub
- Victoria FallsTourist city, gateway to Victoria Falls
- KwekweMining hub in the center of the country
Climate and temperature
Sadza
A porridge made from maize meal, shaped into small balls and used to accompany meat and vegetables; it is the base of almost every meal in the country.
Dovi
A creamy peanut stew with meat, chicken, or vegetables, one of the most beloved flavors of Zimbabwean cuisine.
Muriwo unedovi
Leafy greens cooked in peanut sauce, a traditional side dish for sadza.
Madora (macimbi)
Mopane worms, dried or sautéed, are a traditional source of protein valued for generations.
Braai
Meat grilled over open coals, a tradition of gatherings with family and friends.
Mahewu
A drink made from fermented maize, slightly sour and nutritious, traditionally shared among field workers.
Mutakura
A cooked mixture of maize, peanuts, beans, and other legumes, a simple and nutritious everyday rural dish.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Respect for elders
Age-based hierarchy shapes social life: the decisions and opinions of elders are heard attentively and rarely challenged openly.
Hunhu/Ubuntu
The concept of shared humanity values community above the individual: "I am because we are".
Extended family
Uncles, grandparents, and cousins are part of the family core and take an active role in raising children.
Lobolo
The "bride price", paid in cattle or money by the groom's family, still marks most traditional marriages.
Ancestral spirit world
Many Zimbabweans, even Christians, maintain reverence for the spirits of ancestors as mediators with the spiritual world.
Music and the mbira
The mbira (a metal instrument played with the thumbs) accompanies services, ceremonies, and community celebrations.
- Disrespecting elders or interrupting someone speaking Age is synonymous with moral authority; listening in silence is a sign of respect.
- Refusing food or drink that is offered Accepting what is offered shows gratitude and respect for hospitality.
- Using the left hand to greet or hand something over This is considered impolite; use the right hand or both hands.
- Joking about the economic crisis or inflation It is a sensitive wound for families who lost their savings.
- Mocking Apostolic churches Even with questionable practices, they are an important part of the religious identity of millions of people.
- Photographing people or ceremonies without asking permission Privacy and respect for one's image are valued, especially in religious and rural settings.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Christian faith blends with divination practices and the worship of ancestral spirits, especially in Apostolic churches.
In some Apostolic sects, girls are married off while still children in the name of distorted religious doctrines.
The belief that ancestors' spirits protect or punish the family keeps many people trapped in fear, even within the church.
Fear of curses and the search for traditional healers still shape health and family decisions.
Decades of crisis and inflation erode hope and push families toward despair.
Distrust of institutions weakens justice and fuels cynicism, including among Christians.
Decades of polarization leave marks of fear and silence, including within churches.
Millions have left the country in search of work, fragmenting families and faith communities.
Preaching that promises easy wealth diverts the gospel from suffering and the cross.
Excessive drinking, especially among unemployed men, destroys homes.
Lack of jobs and prospects pushes young people toward vices or leaving the country.
Religious freedom is guaranteed by Zimbabwe’s Constitution, and the overwhelming majority of the population identifies as Christian. Churches of every tradition, from Catholic to Pentecostal, operate openly, and services, vigils, and conferences take place without major formal restrictions.
The real pressure is more political than religious: church leaders who publicly criticize the government or take positions on human rights and elections report surveillance, intimidation, and, in some cases, harassment from the authorities. Religious organizations perceived as opposition-aligned face more scrutiny than those aligned with those in power.
Within the Christian community itself, the greatest protection challenge lies in the syncretic Apostolic churches (Vapositori), where the blending of Christianity and traditional beliefs sustains practices such as marrying off girls while still children and refusing medical treatment, presented as part of the faith. Those who leave these groups, or families who break with spiritual traditions inherited from their ancestors, may face social and family rejection.
Overall, being a Christian in Zimbabwe does not cost one’s freedom, but living out a gospel that truly frees people from fear of spirits, political submission, and abuse disguised as religion remains an urgent calling for the church in the country.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Zimbabwe has 40 catalogued people groups, and the vast majority already have access to the gospel and an established church: more than 99% of the population belongs to significantly reached groups. Only three people groups remain classified as unreached, totaling about 97,000 people: the Vadoma (or Doma), a small indigenous people who live isolated in the Zambezi Valley; the country's deaf community, whose sign language is rarely used to communicate the gospel; and a small group of Jewish origin who speak Marathi. At least one local language, Birwa, still has no Bible translation. These are small groups next to the country's Christian majority, but they continue to wait for a church of their own, in their own language and culture.
- 97K Unreached 0,6%
- 0 Minimally reached 0%
- 0 Superficially reached 0%
- 0 Partially reached 0%
- 17M Significantly reached 99,4%
- 3 Unreached 7,5%
- 0 Minimally reached 0%
- 0 Superficially reached 0%
- 0 Partially reached 0%
- 37 Significantly reached 92,5%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Gujarati Frontier
Judeu de língua marati Frontier
Doma, Vadoma
Deaf Frontier
Makhuwa-Meetto
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
most everyday transactions are made in US dollars
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Bring US dollars in cash: cards and change in local currency do not always work well.
- Learn a few words in Shona or Ndebele: a greeting in the local language opens doors and hearts.
- Greet and chat before getting straight to business: skipping the greeting is seen as impolite.
- Have patience with power and water outages: cuts are frequent across the country.
- Dress modestly in rural and religious settings; simple, modest clothing is well received.
- Avoid comments about politics or the economic crisis in casual conversations with strangers.
- Bring basic medicine and insect repellent: the public health system is limited outside the major cities.
- WhatsApp is the main channel of communication, even in rural areas with cell signal.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.