By Ashirai Mtirikwi S. Mawere
In the “new dispensation,” the first face of Zimbabwe to any visitor is not a minister, not a billboard, but an immigration officer at a port of entry. That is why the leadership of the Department of Immigration has become central to President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 agenda.
At the helm is Chief Immigration Director General Ms. Respect Gono. Under her command, the department has shifted from being a gatekeeper to being a growth enabler — using technology, security reforms, and customer service to tell investors and tourists: “You are welcome, and you are safe.”
- Confidence Through Systems: Security That Welcomes, Not Delays
A secure border builds investor confidence. A chaotic border kills it.
Ms. Gono’s tenure has prioritized both. The department rolled out the Online Border Management System (OBMS) with e-gates using biometric verification, facial recognition and fingerprint scanners. The system automates identity checks, cuts wait times, and flags threats in real time.
E-gates are now active at 7 gates at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, 1 at Victoria Falls International Airport, 2 at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport, and 4 at Beitbridge Border Post. Zimbabwean e-passport holders can now clear immigration without speaking to an officer — a system modelled on Dubai’s Smart Gates, a first in the region.
This security upgrade is backed by documentation reforms. Since 2022, approximately 1.6 million e-passports have been issued nationwide through decentralised bio-enrolment centres.
The result: faster processing, less human error, and a signal to investors that Zimbabwe is serious about governance and order.
- The Numbers: Tourism and Investment Are Responding
Tourists and investors vote with their feet. The data shows they are choosing Zimbabwe.
- December 2024 milestone: Zimbabwe cleared over 1 million travellers at all ports of entry, up from 840,000 in December 2023. Ms. Gono directly linked the rise to “the Second Republic’s commitment to ushering in a new era of easy and convenient travel”.
- Q1 2025 surge: Over 2 million entries and exits were recorded in the first quarter of 2025, a 17% increase from 1.79 million in Q1 2024.
- Investor confidence: Investor residence permits jumped from 333 in Q1 2024 to 454 in Q1 2025. Ms. Gono noted that “investor confidence is on the rise”.
- Regional integration: Zimbabwe became the first SADC country to exempt all SADC Member States from visa requirements, in line with the Facilitation of Movement of Persons Protocol. The Kaza UniVisa with Zambia has also boosted cross-border tourism.
At Beitbridge alone, over 500,000 travellers were processed in December 2024. During the 2023 festive season, 223,698 people entered in just 6 days.
- Infrastructure and People: Refurbished Borders, Retrained Staff
Technology alone is not enough. Ms. Gono has pushed for physical and human upgrades.
Border Modernisation:
- Beitbridge Border Post has been “transformed into a world-class facility”. The upgrade has decongested the facility.
- Upgrades are also underway at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International and Victoria Falls International airports.
Service Excellence:
In collaboration with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, the department is accelerating Service Excellence training for staff at Beitbridge, Victoria Falls, RGMIA and JM Nkomo airports. As ZTA CEO Winnie Muchanyuka put it, “The Immigration Department is at the starting and finishing point of international tourism”.
During peak periods, the department beefs up manpower by suspending leave, merging shifts, and opening additional service points. “We have beefed up our manpower so that we efficiently assist travellers so that they won’t be delayed in long queues”.
- The “New Dispensation” in Practice
What does this represent? The Second Republic’s mantra of “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” is being delivered at the border.
- Facilitation over friction: From e-visas to visa exemptions, the department is removing barriers.
- Data-driven governance: Plans for a Migration Data Centre and Migration School of Excellence aim to ground policy in evidence.
- Human-centred security: Alongside crackdowns on irregular migration, the department set up a GBV call centre at HQ and migrant referral centres with ZPCS.
Ms. Gono herself frames it as governance for growth: “Our vision for an upper-middle-income economy by 2030 is within reach, thanks in part to our strong migration governance systems”.
Conclusion: The First and Last Impression
Tourism revenue and FDI do not start at a lodge or a mine. They start at immigration.
By combining security, speed, and service, Director General Gono has repositioned the Department of Immigration as an economic ministry. The refurbished Beitbridge, the e-gates at RGMIA, the 1 million December arrivals, and the rise in investor permits are not accidents. They are the product of a deliberate strategy to make Zimbabwe predictable, efficient and welcoming.
In the new dispensation, the border is no longer where business stops. Under Gono’s leadership, it is where business begins.
