Kwekwe – Thousands of people descended on Kwekwe in Zimbabwe’s Midlands Province on Africa Day for the sixth edition of the National Amai’s Traditional Cookout Competition, a showcase of the country’s culinary heritage that has grown from a chiefs’ wives gathering into a national event drawing participants from all ten provinces.
The competition brought together community groups, churches, tertiary institutions, youth organisations, persons with disabilities and professional chefs, all competing in an event designed around the principle of leaving no one and no place behind.
First Lady Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa, who serves as Patron of the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, attended the celebrations and told the gathering that the government continues to implement policies and strategies anchored on a heritage-based development philosophy aimed at achieving an upper middle-income society by 2030. 
She noted how far the competition has come since it was first held in 2019, when only chiefs’ wives took part.
She also drew attention to the growing global appetite for traditional Zimbabwean dishes such as madora, harurwa, matemba, mapfura wine and the popular Seven Days Beer, which she said continue to attract international attention at global tourism platforms.
The United Nations Tourism has honoured Mnangagwa with the title of Queen of Gastronomy Tourism in Africa in recognition of her work promoting Zimbabwe’s culinary heritage, an accolade the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority says has helped lift the country’s profile as a gastronomy destination on the continent.
