Matebeleland South has recorded Zimbabwe’s highest HIV prevalence rate at 15%, significantly surpassing the national average of 9%, according to new data released from the 2022 National Housing and Population Census. With an estimated population of 760,000, the province now has over 93,000 people living with HIV.
Health authorities say the alarming trend is strongly linked to cross-border migration, particularly among adolescent girls and young women travelling to South Africa and Botswana in search of work.
National AIDS Council (NAC) Provincial Manager Mgcini Sibanda revealed that many of the young women migrate without proper documentation, which puts them at greater risk of exploitation and unsafe sexual relationships.
“The young girls go to South Africa and Botswana without proper papers. They end up depending on men for their upkeep, who expose them to new HIV infections. At worst, they resort to dangerous forms of work,” Sibanda said. He noted that migrants often struggle to access HIV services abroad, with infections only detected when they return home.
Across all seven districts, female HIV incidence rates now exceed those of males.
• Bulilima has the highest incidence at 0.38%
• Mangwe has a prevalence of 16.8%
• Umzingwane also remains well above national averages
Community members have called for urgent economic empowerment measures to curb risky migration. In Gwanda, youth worker Memory Chere stressed the need for income-generating projects to keep young women safely employed at home. Others, including Nomathemba Madlambuzi of Umzingwane and Beulah Baloyi, echoed calls for stronger financial support programs to protect young women from vulnerability.
As the province confronts this growing health crisis, authorities say targeted prevention, economic support, and expanded HIV services are now more critical than ever.
