State of the Map Africa 2025/Call for venues/Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, a land of vibrant culture and stunning landscapes, renowned for its warm and hospitable people proudly submits its bid to host SOTM Africa 2025 in the iconic city of Victoria Falls where the smoke thunders from the majestic falls, one of the 7 wonders of the world.

Nestled in the heart of Southern Africa, Zimbabwe has a thriving OpenStreetMap community that is rapidly growing and engaging in numerous projects and activities.

Our Vision

Enabling communities via mapping so that OpenStreetMap may highlight every region of Africa. State of the Map Africa 2025: Victoria Falls is an occasion to bring together OSM communities around Africa, to celebrate the stunning map of Africa, to exchange experiences and accomplishments, and to promote mutual learning.

The occasion will also expand on ongoing initiatives in Zimbabwe aimed at encouraging the usage of and contribution to Open Source Management (OSM) by different organisations and the Zimbabwean government among participating local authorities.

In an effort to foster diversity and equitable participation for all delegates, the workshop will begin with a shared congregation then divide participants into workshops based on their areas of interest throughout the two days. In addition, participants will have the chance to contribute to the event's general programme by holding their own workshops. In addition to advancing the shared agenda, side activities will support and accommodate a range of participant levels during the main event.

The key strategic objectives and intended outcomes have been summarized below.

Key Strategic Objectives

• Strengthening the capacity of local OSM communities across Africa
• Facilitating the exchange of best practices, experiences, innovations and success stories among the participants
• Advocate and showcase the adoption and integration of OSM into governmental and organisational operations for problem-solving and innovations upscaling.

Intended Outcomes

• Enhanced skills and knowledge among community members, increased local contributions to OSM, and establishment of new local OSM groups.
• Development of new collaborations and partnerships, dissemination of innovative mapping techniques, and a comprehensive repository of shared resources and case studies.
• Increased number of governmental and organizational stakeholders utilizing OSM data, formal partnerships between OSM communities and government entities, and policy recommendations for integrating OSM into official planning and development frameworks.

The Team

We are the OpenStreetMap Zimbabwe team and have been accredited by the OSM Foundation in 2019. We have seven executive members and a large community of members and contributors in Zimbabwe. We will host the event in collaboration with Geo-Connect located in Harare, Zimbabwe which is a non-profit and community-based organisation that connects the youth to spatial opportunities while focusing on building thriving geospatial communities and promoting geo-innovation.

This partnership seeks to build upon the success of the networks in establishing a robust event that seeks to attain its stated objectives and outcomes.

The key organising members of this event are:

• Thando Mathe
• Ruvimbo Doreen Supiya
• Kumbirai Matingo
• Letwin Pondo
• Ashley Kahari
• Takudzwa Murwadzi
• Takudzwa Samushonga

You can contact us at osmzimbabwe@gmail.com

When

July/August 2025

Where?

We anticipate a total number of 200 participants at the SoTM2025 and the Elephant Hills Resort in the proposed host city of Victoria in the proposed host city of Victoria Falls caters for all special needs. Over the years The Elephant Hills Hotel and Resort has become a Victoria Falls icon. Generations of tourists have enjoyed the many leisure and conference facilities offered, most notable of which is the 18-hole golf course which is frequently visited by various wildlife.

The resort lies at the top of a hill outside of Victoria Falls affording many of the rooms sweeping views of the Zambezi River across to Zambia.

The website of the proposed venueand OSM location.

Why Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls?

Victoria Falls' stunning natural splendour and well-known UNESCO World Heritage designation make it the perfect place to be. With its breathtaking waterfalls, abundant animals, and rich cultural history, the location offers a singular and inspirational backdrop. Furthermore, Victoria Falls has state-of-the-art conference facilities that guarantee participants a pleasant and unforgettable experience while offering plenty of chances for leisure and exploration in one of Africa's most famous locations.

Transportation

For international travellers, the proposed venue Victoria Falls has an airport where international participants can arrive via Air Transport and be transferred to their designated accommodation places via Taxi or e-hailing services (in-drive, Bolt and Yango).

As part of the planning and courtesy to our participants, we will also organize coordinated shuttle services to and from the airport and allow ease of travel for the delegates.

Local participants can travel via Road from their city of residence to the venue or choose to travel via air from major cities with airports (Harare and Bulawayo). International participants looking for an experience of the country can also do the same.

Immigration

Zimbabwe’s immigration process is quick, fast and easy where attending participants can apply for a visa online via the official Government of Zimbabwe e-visa system.

The country provides three categories for visa processing and acquisition and these include:

• Category A: Visitors from the countries listed below are not required to have a visa to travel to Zimbabwe.
• Category B: Visitors from the countries listed below are not required to apply for a visa before travelling, but may pay for and obtain your visa when you enter Zimbabwe.
• Category C: Visitors from the countries listed below are required to pay for and obtain your visa before you travel to Zimbabwe.

The countries under each category are as follows.

Category A	Category B	Category C
ANGOLA ARUBA ANTIGUA & BARBUDA BAHAMAS BARBADOS BELIZE BOTSWANA CAYMAN ISLANDS CYPRUS FIJI DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO GHANA GRENADA HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF CHINA KENYA KIRIBATI JAMAICA LEEWARD ISLANDS LESOTHO MADAGASCAR MALAWI MALAYSIA MALDIVES MALTA MAURITIUS MONTSERRAT MOZAMBIQUE NAMIBIA NAURU SAINT LUCIA SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES SAMOA WESTERN SEYCHELLES SINGAPORE SOLOMON ISLANDS SOUTH AFRICA ST KITTS AND NEVIS SWAZILAND TONGA TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS	VIRGIN ISLANDS VATICAN VENEZUELA (BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA URUGUAY UZBEKISTAN UKRAINE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND TURKEY TURKMENISTAN SWEDEN SWITZERLAND TAJIKISTAN KAZAKHSTAN SURINAME SPAIN SLOVAKIA SLOVENIA SENEGAL SERBIA SAN MARINO SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE SAMOA (AMERICA) NETHERLANDS NEW CALEDONIA NEW ZEALAND NICARAGUA MEXICO MICRONESIA, FEDERATED STATES OF MOLDOVA MONACO MARSHALL ISLANDS LATVIA NORFOLK ISLANDS NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS NORWAY PALAU ISLAND PALESTINE PANAMA PAPUA NEW GUINEA PARAGUAY PERU POLAND PORTUGAL PUERTO RICO REUNION ROMANIA RUSSIAN FEDERATION RWANDA LIECHTENSTEIN LITHUANIA LUXEMBOURG MACAO SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF CHINA JAPAN KUWAIT KYRGYZSTAN KOREA (SOUTH) GUYANA HAITI HONDURAS IRELAND ISRAEL ITALY HUNGARY ICELAND INDIA INDONESIA IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF GUAM GUATEMALA GIBRALTAR GREECE GEORGIA GERMANY DENMARK ESTONIA ETHIOPIA FINLAND FRANCE FRENCH GUIANA FRENCH POLYNESIA FRENCH W/INDIES CZECH REPUBLIC COMOROS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ECUADOR EGYPT EL SALVADOR EQUATORIAL GUINEA CHILE CHINA CHINA (NON TOUR) COOK ISLANDS COSTA RICA CROATIA CUBA BURUNDI CANADA CAPE VERDE BRAZIL BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS BRUNEI DARUSSALAM BULGARIA BERMUDA BHUTAN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA BELARUS BELGIUM BAHRAIN ARGENTINA ARMENIA AUSTRALIA AUSTRIA AZERBAIJAN ALBANIA ALGERIA	ANGUILLA BANGLADESH BENIN AFGHANISTAN BOLIVIA BURKINA FASO CAMBODIA CAMEROON CD'IVOIRE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC CHAD COLOMBIA ERITREA CONGO BRAZZAVILLE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA GABON GAMBIA DJIBOUTI REPUBLIC GUINEA-CONAKRY GUINEA-BISSAU IRAQ KOSOVO LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC JORDAN LIBERIA LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA MALI QATAR REFUGEE PHILIPPINES OMAN PAKISTAN LEBANON MAURITANIA MONGOLIA MONTENEGRO NIGER NIGERIA MYANMAR MOROCCO NEPAL SAUDI ARABIA SIERRA LEONE SOMALIA SRI LANKA SOUTH SUDAN SUDAN THAILAND THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA TOGO SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC TAIWAN TUNISIA VIET NAM

The immigration information is also available on the Visa Regime page -

https://www.evisa.gov.zw/regime

The venue also provides spacious and luxurious accommodation in Victoria Falls where we also seek to get discounted rates for our participants.

Alternative and cheaper options also exist from surrounding hotels and Airbnb ranging between $25 to $100 per room per night depending on the participant's preferences and choices.

Options for sharing full Airbnbs are available to lower costs and accommodate students and young professionals.

Languages

Zimbabwe is an English-speaking country with Shona and Ndebele as the main local languages. The event will be conducted mainly in English with the possibility of hiring a French translator to cater for foreign nationals with limited conversational knowledge of English.

Currency

Zimbabwe uses a multi-currency system with the main local currency being the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) but most transactions however take place in the United States Dollar. Visa cards are also accepted mostly in the hosting city and ATMs are also available for participants that might require withdrawing cash for their use.

Currency exchange from the United States Dollar is only advisable at accredited Bureau DeChange outlets and banks as trading in the streets is a serious criminal offence. The current rate stands at $1(USD) to approximately 14 ZiG.

Health Screening

Since the declaration of the end of the Coronavirus pandemic in Zimbabwe, there are no specific health requirements for foreigners entering the country.

The venue of the event also has a clinic were participants can get treated if any need occurs during the duration of the event.

Budget

We anticipate a maximum attendance of 200 people at the event. Here is the breakdown of the budget items we need funding for.

Item	Quantity	Amount per Unit (USD)	Total Amount (USD)	Comment
Venue (including catering and security)	2 Days	70 per person (full-day conference cover)	28,000	The venue provides both security and catering services, including the venue fee. No external catering is allowed and catering provides snacks, lunch and teas for the participants.
Conference marketing and branding (Banners, etc) Digital and physical Event website and hosting services Conference Gift Bag + Swag	3 digital ads 10 teardrop 50 country flags 12 months 200	30 60 10 10 10	90 600 500 120 2,000	We plan to have the venue decorated with the event brandings We are also going to host a live website containing information about attending the event and all information for the global audience We also plan on giving out some gift bags to all the participants.
Scholarships	30	1000	30,000	An average of $1,000 is enough for anyone travelling from the furthest country in Africa to come to Victoria Falls. Funds will be allocated also based on the distance required to travel as closer foreign nationals will get fewer amounts than the furthest participants
Shuttle Service (Airport transfer)	6 Trips	100	600	We will provide shuttle services to transport delegates to and from the airport to their designated places of accommodation and to the conference each day.
T-Shirts	220	10	2,200	We will print T-shirts for the delegates and will serve for marketing purposes
Stickers	1000	0.25	250
Volunteers	10 People	50	500	The amount covers shared accommodation and logistical costs for volunteers during the conference days.
Media Coverage (videography and photography service)	3 Days	300	900	We will hire a professional photographer to cover the event moments for sharing and digital footprint.
Social Event	1Day		2,500	We plan on hosting a social event which also allows the participants to have a tour of the majestic Victoria Falls including a Game drive in the city.
Miscellaneous/Sundry Expense			1,740	The amount stated should be enough to cover any shortfalls and/or additional expenses on the budget.
TOTAL			70,000