Gwanda

---

title: "Gwanda" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["gwanda", "provincial-capitals-in-zimbabwe", "populated-places-in-matabeleland-south-province", "gwanda-district"] description: "Zimbabwean town" topic_path: "general/gwanda" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwanda" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Zimbabwean town ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Gwanda
settlement_type	Town
pushpin_map	Zimbabwe
pushpin_label_position	inline
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Zimbabwe
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_type1	Province
subdivision_type2	Districts of Zimbabwe
subdivision_type4	Municipality
subdivision_name	[[File:Flag of Zimbabwe.svg
subdivision_name1	Matabeleland South
subdivision_name2	Gwanda District
subdivision_name4	Municipality of Gwanda
elevation_ft	3300
population_total	26700
population_as_of	2022 census
population_footnotes
population_density_km2	auto
population_blank1_title	Ethnicities
population_blank2_title	Religions
timezone	CAT
utc_offset	+2
blank_name	Climate
blank_info	BSh
::

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Gwanda is a town in Zimbabwe. It is the capital of the province of Matabeleland South, one of the ten administrative provinces in the country. It is also the district capital of Gwanda District, one of the seven administrative districts in the province.

Location

The town is located 134 km, by road, south east of the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city. This location lies on the Bulawayo–Beitbridge Road and the Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway. The town of Beitbridge, at Zimbabwe's border with the Republic of South Africa, lies 197 km, further southeast on Highway A-6. The coordinates of Gwanda, Zimbabwe are: 20°56'20.0"S, 29°01'07.0"E (Latitude:-20.938889; Longitude:29.018611). Gwanda sits at an average elevation of 3300 ft above mean sea level. Gwanda is known to have long, hot summers, and short, cool winters. Gwanda is also quite dry as compared to the rest of the country, and is therefore prone to drought.

Overview

Gwanda was founded in 1900 as a settlement of European gold miners and prospectors. Its name derives from that of a nearby hill known as Jahunda. It is located on the Bulawayo-Beitbridge road and the railway that runs south to West Nicholson. The town is the a centre for Matebeleland South’s cattle ranching industry and also trades in agricultural produce. There are gold, asbestos, and chrome mines in the vicinity, and game reserves nearby. Stone Age implements have been found in the Gwalingemba Hills, which are located 32 miles (52 km) south of Gwanda.

Gwanda is administratively run by the Municipality of Gwanda, whose jurisdiction covers 10 wards across the town. Gwanda is the location of the District headquarters of Gwanda District. It is also home to the Matabeleland South provincial offices of various government departments, which are mainly located at the government complex along 3rd Avenue, between Queen Street and Khartoum Street.

The town has a provincial hospital, Gwanda Provincial Hospital, which serves as a referral centre for nearby smaller mission and district hospitals. Services provided include emergency medicine, paediatrics, maternity, eye surgery, minor orthopaedic surgery, general surgery and an expanded immunisation program. The town is the chief centre for south-western Zimbabwe's cattle district and also trades in agricultural produce. There are asbestos, chromium and gold mines around Gwanda.{{cite web|title=Overview of Gwanda At Britannica.com | url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Gwanda |date=2020 | publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica |author=((The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica)) |access-date=17 July 2020}}

The main stadium is called Phelandaba Stadium. It was home to the former Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League team, Njube Sundowns. Currently there is Gwanda Pirates FC whichbis affectionately known as Ezimnyama ngenkani which plqys in the ZIFA Central Region Division 1. Financial services are provided by commercial banks, including CBZ Bank Limited, Post Office Savings Bank, AgriBank Zimbabwe and ZB Bank Limited.

Population

According to the 1982 Population Census, the town had a population of 4,874. The town chiefs refused to acknowledge the results of the 1992 census as they felt they had been undercounted. Officially, that disputed figure was 10,565. In 2012, the national population census enumerated the towns population was at 20,226. Most residents of Gwanda are ethnically Ndebele, and isiNdebele and English are the languages most commonly spoken. There are also Shona and Sotho people in Gwanda.

Notable people

The former president of Zambia, Rupiah Banda, was born in this town, in a place called Miko. Professor Thomas Tlou of the University of Botswana, former Botswana Ambassador to the U.N., was born in Gwanda. He was also co-author with Alec Campbell of History of Botswana.

References

References

1. [https://www.citypopulation.de/en/zimbabwe/cities/ Citypopulation.de] Population of cities & urban localities in Zimbabwe
2. "Road Distance From Bulawayo To Gwanda".
3. "Road Distance From Gwanda, Zimbabwe To Beitbridge, Zimbabwe".
4. "Location of Gwanda, Zimbabwe".
5. Wolfram Alpha. (17 July 2020). "Elevation of Gwanda, Zimbabwe". Wolframalpha.com.
6. "Average Weather in Gwanda, Zimbabwe, Year Round - Weather Spark".
7. Municipality of Gwanda. (17 July 2020). "The official website of the Municipality of Gwanda". Municipality of Gwanda.
8. "Location of The Government Complex, Gwanda, Zimbabwe".
9. Ngoni Chanakira and Michelle Chifamba. (23 September 2011). "ZB's Growing Gold Fund". The Zimbabwean.
10. Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe. (8 June 2020). "Municipality of Gwanda: Demographic Highlights". Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe.
11. (1984). "History of Botswana". Macmillan.

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