Victoria Falls resident becomes correspondent on research of Zimbabwe's rural tourism economy

Victoria Falls resident, stand up comedian, celebrity chef and entrepreneur Carl Joshua Ncube was this week announced as a rural correspondent for the Southern African Times online publication, following his recent decision to begin a four year study on Rural Zimbabwe, a move that will see Ncube researching and unearthing the potential of Zimbabwe’s Rural Tourism Economy.

According to The Southern African Times, Ncube’s study could be one of the most important studies in sustainable community development, as it gives potential diaspora investors a point of information with great context. “It is on this background that we feel Carl Joshua Ncube needed a platform such as ours to share some of his findings as content on our publication and then we syndicate it to other publications worldwide” TSAT Editorial Team.

Widely known for sharing his experiences through his vlogs, lectures and articles, Carl Joshua Ncube has also partnered with a local Zimbabwean University to collaborate on this study as a way of including and opening up the research to the younger generations consciousness on the potential of Rural Zimbabwe. According to Carl, this study will also provide comparisons of Zimbabwean villages to villages around the world to see what innovations, similarities or differences can help Rural Zimbabwe harness the use of technology without losing that authentic rural identity.

"I have therefore decided to embark on a four year study split into three parts. To curate as much information about rural living as I can. To collaborate with other studies and experts and villages around the world and lastly to create assets that can contribute to thriving rural communities," says Carl. A few of the highlights expected from the study will include the development of rural Air BnBs, the development of recipes using local sustainable ingredients, developing best practices for greener rural living, and developing a venture captial fund to support the growth of rural start-ups.

Since their move at the beginning of the year out to the rural community in Lesedi on the outskirts of Victoria Falls, Carl and his wife Nelsy have been actively working with the community to look at innovative ways to encourage greater interaction between the urban and rural communities in and around Victoria Falls, and to assist in transforming the economy for the rural communities to benefit more from tourism to the region. Together the couple have already hosted a number of "Chef's table" experiences, and are working with the community to look at a local monthly market in the village where villagers will be able to sell their home-grown produce and showcase their artisanal talents and skillsets.

Lookout for more updates and information on Carl's study by visiting The Southern African Times website and on YouTube as of 1st August when Carl Ncube relaunches his reality television series on Rural Life called "Ekaya".