The British Embassy in Harare has temporarily relocated part of its operations to Bulawayo, setting up a “pop-up embassy” during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) week to broaden access to its services and strengthen partnerships across Zimbabwe.
British Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Peter Vowles said the initiative marks a shift from the embassy’s traditionally Harare-centric operations, responding to longstanding concerns about accessibility for residents outside the capital.
“This is a highlight for us in our calendar. What we have done differently this year is that we often get criticism that the embassy is based in Harare and it is harder to spend time in Bulawayo,” Vowles said in a media huddle on Wednesday.
“So what we decided to do this time is not just to bring trade and investment discussions to Bulawayo, but to bring everything that we do, to showcase the full range of UK work in Zimbabwe here in Bulawayo.”
The week-long initiative effectively transforms Bulawayo into a secondary diplomatic hub, offering services typically only available at the embassy in Harare.
These include visa-related engagements, scholarship information, trade and investment discussions and broader partnership opportunities.
The centrepiece of the initiative is an “open house” event at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, where members of the public can directly engage embassy officials.
“We have an open house where anyone can come and talk about visas, scholarships, partnerships, trade and investment, anything we are doing,” said Vowles.
“It’s a different approach to bring our embassy to Bulawayo for the week.”
The pop-up embassy concept comes as the UK seeks to deepen its engagement with Zimbabwe beyond government-level interactions, placing emphasis on communities, institutions and private sector players across the country.
Throughout the trade fair week, the embassy structured its engagement around thematic areas reflecting key sectors of cooperation between the UK and Zimbabwe.
On Monday, the focus was on agriculture, heritage and tourism, with Vowles visiting Amagugu International Heritage Centre in Matobo to explore Ndebele cultural heritage and promote tourism opportunities rooted in local traditions.
“I went to Amagugu to learn about Ndebele culture and profile heritage-based tourism,” he said, highlighting the UK’s interest in supporting cultural preservation as part of economic development.
Tuesday’s engagements centred on education, innovation and skills development where the ambassador met Zimbabwean scholars returning from the UK, visited education exhibitions at ZITF and engaged with students at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), including recipients of UK-funded technology awards.
Vowles said these interactions reflect the UK’s ongoing investment in human capital development and knowledge exchange.
Wednesday’s programme shifted focus to women and girls, underscoring their role in economic growth and social development.
“Today we are focusing on women and girls and the importance of their role in the economy,” he said, adding that inclusive growth remains central to UK-Zimbabwe partnerships.
The final day of the initiative is set to consolidate all thematic areas, culminating in the open house event designed to give the public direct access to embassy services.
Vowles said the decision to deploy a larger embassy team to Bulawayo for the week was deliberate, aimed at making sure that engagements go beyond symbolic presence.
“That’s why we have so much of our team here this week, really focusing on the full range of UK partnerships in Zimbabwe,” he said.
The move also reflects a broader diplomatic strategy of decentralisation, recognising Bulawayo’s role as a key economic and cultural hub, particularly during the trade fair period when businesses, policymakers and international partners converge in the city.
In an interview, a Bulawayo resident, Marilyn Ncube, said having such information was necessary as that would help bring embassy services closer to the people.
“It’s costly travelling to Harare plus you have to think of the related costs so we appreciate the close accessibility, which would allow those of us who are interested in scholarships and other skills development opportunities. Generally it is good to engage directly with UK officials without the need to travel to Harare,” she said, adding the UK embassy is not only responding to logistical challenges but showing inclusivity, which should be done more often.
Support CITE’s fearless, independent journalism. Your donation helps us amplify community voices, fight misinformation, and hold power to account. Help keep the truth alive. Donate today