Matabeleland could develop new industries around traditional products and cultural knowledge, creating livelihoods while preserving the region’s heritage, Chief Dakamela’s office has said.
The proposal emerged from a cultural heritage exchange in China, where Chief Dakamela and Ntando Ndlovu kaSibasa are attending a two-week seminar on the conservation and inheritance of cultural heritage for countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.
The engagement has exposed the Zimbabwean delegation to approaches that move beyond preserving heritage solely for its historical value, exploring how cultural assets, traditional knowledge, and products can also contribute to sustainable economic activity.
The seminar, organised by the China Academy of Cultural Heritage, focuses on heritage conservation and includes visits to major Chinese heritage sites, including the Great Wall of China and the Palace Museum.
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For the Dakamela Trust, one of the key lessons has been the potential of what it calls Industrial Heritage — using cultural and historical assets as a foundation for developing sustainable industries.
“For us, this engagement is about learning practical approaches to protecting and promoting heritage. It will deepen our understanding of conservation while also exploring how to develop Industrial Heritage, turning heritage assets into sustainable industries, as demonstrated by China’s porcelain and ceramics industry, which has grown into a multi-million-dollar industry,” the Trust said.
The Trust believes similar opportunities could be explored around traditional products and knowledge found across Matabeleland.
“We believe there are parallels to be drawn that will lead to the creation of Heritage Industries along iMvunulo, iLala Products and Clay Products,” it said.
Such an approach could involve developing traditional products into commercially viable goods while retaining their cultural identity and links to the communities that produce them.
The Trust said the exchange had also provided an opportunity for the Zimbabwean delegation to showcase Matabeleland’s cultural heritage to an international audience.
“This platform has also allowed us to export and share our culture to the world, raising critical awareness of our unique and beautiful culture,” it said.
For Chief Dakamela’s office, cultural diplomacy can therefore serve as a bridge between heritage preservation and economic development, particularly in communities where traditional knowledge and practices remain an important part of cultural identity.
“We believe such exchanges strengthen cultural diplomacy and create new pathways for preserving identity while building livelihoods and economic opportunities for our communities koDakamela, the wider Matabeleland region and Zimbabwe,” the Trust said.
The Trust said the lessons from China would contribute to its understanding of heritage conservation while informing discussions on how cultural resources could support livelihoods in KoDakamela, Matabeleland and Zimbabwe more broadly.
It expressed appreciation to the China Academy of Cultural Heritage for the invitation and thanked Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding and the Chinese Embassy for facilitating the engagement and supporting people-to-people cooperation.
“Cultural Heritage is our shared global treasure and wealth,” the Trust said.
It also quoted Chinese President Xi Jinping as saying: “We have a grand yet simple goal to improve the lives of our people.”
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