About Our City of Bulawayo

Twinned with the city of Aberdeen, Scotland, and the city of Durban, South Africa, the historical city of Bulawayo, or the City of Kings, is the hub of the province of Matabeleland, which comprises the whole of western Zimbabwe, from Beitbridge on the South African border to Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River in the north, and the largest water front of Lake Kariba.

It is a province rich in cultural heritage, art, traditional music and dance.

The Bulawayo area has been a centre of habitation since the Stone Age, making it a unique African city that predates colonial establishment.

Located at a vantage point in southern Africa, Bulawayo forms the axis of a well-planned road and rail network to the north, south, east, and west. Bulawayo is the natural gateway to Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, and the Great Zimbabwe Ruins.

History of The City of Bulawayo

Bulawayo was the capital of Mzilikazi and of his son Lobengula, both legendary Ndebele Kings.

Early settlers, using the region’s immense natural wealth, turned Bulawayo into a boom town after 1893.

The arrival of the railways in 1897 made it the country’s major centre for mining, ranching and industrial activity.

Bulawayo is one of the country’s most attractive cities, with a pleasing mixture of Victorian and modern architecture, which gives it a unique character.

This skyline, which together with its wide tree-lined streets and avenues, Art Deco buildings and friendly people make it a city of great charm.

Visitors to the city describe Bulawayo as a “Jewel beneath the Zimbabwean Sun” well worth visiting due to its vast array of treasures located in a truly unique setting.