City of Bulawayo Overview.

Bulawayo is the second largest city amongst all the cities in Zimbabwe. It is located some 439km south of Harare and is the commercial hub of the Matebeland region. It is home to the Ndebele speaking people of Zimbabwe. The closest borders to Bulawayo which is also known as the City of Kings are that of South Africa and Botswana.

The city of Kings is a tourist hub serving visitors coming to Zimbabwe to view the Matopos, Khami Ruins and the Victoria Falls. The city is served by an efficient and road, rail and air network. Visitors to the city may use airlines such as Air Zimbabwe and South African Airways which service the city on a daily basis connecting it to other cities such as Harare the capital of Zimbabwe and Johannesburg in South Africa. See flights and travel on how to get to this city.

Places to stay in Bulawayo will include Holiday Inn Hotel, Rainbow Hotel and other numerous B&B facilities which are suitable for overnight stays and short stays. The city is run and managed by the Bulawayo City Council and is known for its wide streets designed in the Victorian times to fit horse drawn carts. Like Harare, there are many Jacaranda trees in the streets of the city.

Many of the city's streets are named after local and national political leaders who fought against British occupation during the lebaration struggle. The city of Kings has the second state house which is the home of the President of Zimbabwe when he visits.

A key event organised in the city of Kings is the annual Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF). This attracts business people from all over the world who come to buy and sell technology, products and services. However due to the recent poor performance of the Zimbabwe economy and the Zimbabwe currency, the fair had been dismally performing. It is now coming up again as Zimbabwe slowly comes out of a decade long recession.

Other major attractions in Bulawayo will include the following;

1. Mzilikazi Arts and Crafts Centre
2. Mazwi Nature Reserve
3. Chipangali wildlife orphanage
4. Bulawayo Art gallery

The city has a perennial water problem which makes it an offense to use tape water for heavy duty jobs such as gardening. Politically, due to a feeling of development marginalization the people of the city have repeatedly rejected  ZANU PF party led by Robert Mugabe at the national polls. The city is an opposition strong-hold.

In terms of security, the city is generally secure like the rest of Zimbabwe but visitors are encouraged to exercise caution especially when venturing out during the night. Knowing the nearest police station will be an added advantage in case of an emergency.

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