GWERU, Zimbabwe — Midlands State University (MSU) cemented its status as a pioneer in African higher education on 6 March 2026, hosting Zimbabwe’s first-ever large-scale Alumni Reunion and Business Expo.
The landmark event transformed the Gweru campus into a vibrant hive of activity, where nearly thousands of graduates were invited to reconnect with the hallowed grounds that shaped their destinies.
The air was thick with nostalgia and laughter as long-lost friends, separated by decades and continents, embraced in emotional reunions.
“It is a homecoming of experiences, of memories and destinies shaped by an illustrious University,” noted the Honourable Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Hon. O. Ncube in a speech read on his behalf by Mr. Machako, the Provincial Coordinator in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
The University’s “WeAreMSU” culture was on full display, with entertainment and the characteristic smoke of the celebratory braai symbolising shared resolve and human connections.
Professor Victor Ngonidzashe Muzvidziwa, the Vice Chancellor, delivered a stirring address that captured the gravity of the 25-year milestone.
“Universities are like trees; their worth is measured not just by the height of their trunks but by the strength of their roots and the richness of the fruit they bear,” Professor Muzvidziwa told the gathered assembly.
He noted that the University has blossomed from a modest venture with four faculties into a comprehensive powerhouse boasting ten faculties and intensive research hubs.
Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Hon. Ambassador Dr. F. M. M. Shava, officiated the ceremony as the Guest of Honour.
The Minister emphasised that a University is built and sustained by its graduates, echoing the national philosophy that a country is built by its own citizens.
“A university can only go as far as its best and most generous former students allow it to,” Ambassador Dr. Shava remarked, inviting alumni to partner in the institution’s future growth.
The Business Expo served as the event’s practical heartbeat, featuring a diverse array of alumni-led startups and corporate giants.
Strategic partners and sponsors attended in significant numbers, demonstrating a profound solidarity with the university’s industrialisation mandate.
For many alumni, the expo was not just a showcase of entrepreneurial acumen but a bridge to new professional frontiers.
“This historic gathering demonstrates the strength of the MSU alumni network across the world,” said Dr. Prosper Mutswiri, President of the Global Alumni Interim Steering Committee.
Dr. Mutswiri pledged the committee’s unwavering support to the university, noting that alumni carry a responsibility to give back to their alma mater.
The reunion also saw the high-energy launch of the MSU Alumni Fund and the Alumni Portal, led by the Executive Director – International and Alumni Relations.
These tools are designed to move the community from “memory to momentum,” creating a living directory for two-way engagement and strategic investment.
The Executive Director of International and Alumni Relations, Professor L. Chikoko, infused the launch with a vision of a global, digital home for all MSU graduates.
Adding a touch of “Ubuntu,” alumna Yvonnie Marambanyika, founder of Nyeredzi Global Technologies, donated computers to students directly supporting the next generation of innovators.
The event concluded with a clear message: MSU has set a new standard for across the region.
As the celebrations moved from the formal addresses to the networking braai, the spirit of innovation and reunion remained the defining theme.
Midlands State University has proven that its greatest asset is not its infrastructure, but the collective power of its “perpetual brand ambassadors”.