Zimfest was established in 2001 by a group of Zimbabweans based in the UK. They had all left Zimbabwe for the UK wide-eyed and enthusiastic, ready to take on the world. They had come from every walk of life in Zimbabwe, Engineers, Writers, tree huggers, the lot. Black, White, Shona, Ndebele, and Coloured even a random guy from Malawi called Smudger! All of them had been born touched by the turbulent times at home back in 2000; all of them were not the type to take things sitting down.

The idea came about when Ros ‘Chairman Mao’ Smith from Harare (a nickname that came about due to her never being seen without a thick red book which was essentially the Zimfest Bible) basically said: “I know, let’s have a beer-fest”! Zimbabweans, beer, braai (bbq), sun – well hopefully on Mud Island. It really was a no brainer. So they started this thing with 700 of our beautiful countrymen and women on a field behind a prison in Wandsworth South West London in a celebration that has come to feature a Rugby Sevens tournament, 5 a side football, Cricket Six’s and an array of fun for the whole family in what is now known to be one of the friendliest events in London.