Midlands State University (MSU) students took top honours at the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo 2026 in Masvingo on 10 September 2026 by winning first place in the National Scholastica Innovation Competition, cementing the University’s position as a national leader in student-driven technology.
The University exhibition stand drew the attention of the Honourable Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Dr. Ambassador F. M. M. Shava, who toured the stand and engaged directly with the innovative solutions on display.
The centrepiece of this victory was TourSafe, an integrated intelligent application engineered to bolster traveller safety through the combination of GPS tracking, geofencing, real-time risk information, artificial intelligence, and an emergency SOS function.
The victorious student team comprised Mudiwa Madzore and Nikinicole Chabata, both studying a Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, alongside Vitalis Masamba and Peter Gumunyu, who are studying a Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree in Data Science and Informatics.
Securing first place earned the student team US$1,200 courtesy of the Honourable Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Dr Ambassador Shava and US$3,000 in seed funding, courtesy of the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Honourable Barbra Rwodzi, towards project implementation.
In addition to the financial awards, every member of the team received lunch vouchers and two metres of the National Fabric.
This achievement highlights MSU’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary research and translating academic concepts into scalable, real-world solutions that contribute to industrialisation and economic development of the nation.
