Farai Mabeza
Thirteen arts and crafts cooperatives in Victoria Falls have come together to form a new union aimed at turning the resort town’s craft sector into a more coordinated and export-ready industry.
The Victoria Falls Arts and Crafts Cooperative Union was officially launched on 18 September 2026, following a two-day capacity-building programme that focused on management, regulatory compliance, product development and access to markets.
The initiative comes as international demand for arts and crafts continues to expand. Trade Map data cited by ZimTrade shows that global imports across the broader arts and crafts product group rose from US$276.3 billion in 2021 to US$319.4 billion in 2025 — a 15.6 percent increase.
The United States was the largest importing market in 2025, with imports worth US$50.7 billion, followed by Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, France, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom.
ZimTrade told the Victoria Falls producers that these markets present opportunities at different levels, from accessible regional markets such as South Africa and Namibia to established destinations in Europe, North America and Asia.
But the biggest opportunity may be in moving beyond the traditional tourist souvenir market.
“These figures support the development of products beyond the traditional tourist souvenir market,” ZimTrade said, pointing to opportunities in hospitality interiors, homeware, corporate gifts, fashion accessories and smaller products suitable for online sales.
Zimbabwe already has a foothold in international arts and crafts markets. Worked stone exports reached US$4.7 million in 2025, while original sculpture generated US$1.65 million. Together, the two categories accounted for 80.5 percent of recorded arts and crafts exports.
There is also room for diversification. Wood décor exports rose from US$103,000 to US$434,000, while Zimbabwe\'s basketry exports stood at just US$137,000 against a global basketry import market estimated at US$2 billion.
Most members of the new Victoria Falls union are stone and wood sculptors, giving the group an existing product base and international experience. Some participated at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, with income from the market helping sustain producers during a period of weaker tourist traffic in Victoria Falls.
The planned participation at Expo 2027 Belgrade in Serbia offers another opportunity to build on that experience.
Crucially, the union could allow small producers to overcome one of the biggest barriers to export growth: the inability of individual artisans to consistently fulfil larger orders.
“It can receive orders centrally, allocate work among specialised groups, apply common product specifications and consolidate goods for delivery,” ZimTrade said.
The model would allow an approved sample to guide production across cooperatives, with specifications covering materials, dimensions, weight, finish, production capacity, lead time and packaging.
According to ZimTrade, this can help reduce variations between products, while making pricing, repeat orders, packaging and transport easier to manage.
For Victoria Falls, where tourism already provides a direct link to international consumers, the new union could provide a bridge from the local craft market to more sustained export business.
“It provides a single point of contact for hotels, international buyers and development partners,” ZimTrade said.
