Since the beginning of Zimbabwes history, culture has continued to change.

Unfortunately, since the colonization of Zimbabwe by the British, Zimbabwe has been steadily
losing its traditional cultures. While Christianity is not a far-off religion from the traditional
belief systems of the country, it was not until the British arrived that any of the native peoples
practiced it. Currently, in Zimbabwe, eighty-five percent of the population aligns themselves
with the Christian religion, while one percent is Muslim (McGuigan). This only leaves fourteen
percent of the population that still practices one of the traditional religions of the nation. This is
the first of several examples of how cultural diversity is dying in Zimbabwe.
In somewhat of a contrast, though religious diversity has decreased at a high rate, the
native language is declining much more slowly. When Zimbabwe first began, the only language
spoken was Shona. Now, slightly more than two-thirds of the population speaks Shona as its
first language (People & Culture). While that may still be the majority of the population, one
third of the population already does not speak the traditional language. Think about the relatively
short amount of time that Zimbabwe has been around, and how many of the people will know
Shona in another hundred years. In the span of a single generation, a language can be lost if it is
not taught to the next generation.
Another instance of declining cultural diversity can be seen when we look at the
percentage of the population that is still living in tribal-type, traditional communities. Though it
is not bad that the Shona people (not language) are retaining their place in society, this also
indicates that it not a culturally diverse population. There are a handful of small tribal cultures
that only make up about 1 percent of the population, each (People & Culture). Additionally,
there is a minimal number of immigrants to the country that are not originally from somewhere
in Sub-Saharan Africa (People & Culture). Being a culturally diverse country means that people

are coming together in the country, and retaining their cultural traditions. Unfortunately in
Zimbabwe, it is more of a melting pot (McGuigan). Most of the smaller cultural groups get
assimilated into the larger Shona culture and lose their diversity. Perhaps this is why many of the
smaller cultural groups live somewhat segregated from the larger Shona population (People and
Culture). Maybe the smaller groups fear assimilation, so they keep to themselves.
With all this being said, Zimbabweans have tried very hard to keep their traditional
cultures alive. To this day, some of the practices and ceremonies remain the same, even for those
who have strayed from traditional belief systems. For example, Zimbabwe is still home to a
special rain making ceremony (People and Culture) that is a tradition. This goes to show that
even though the cultural diversity is decreasing in Zimbabwe and the country is more
modernized, the people still try to keep traditions alive. This is an important fact for the people
of Zimbabwe, because if they let their traditional culture die, their cultural diversity would die
along with it.
Interestingly enough, by getting back to their cultural roots, Zimbabwe could actually
benefit itself. In an article I read, it said that different pieces of art and cultural pieces from
Zimbabwe could be sold and significantly benefit the countrys economy (Zimbabwe, 2012). Not
only would it create more products to export, but it would also greatly increase the number of
available jobs in the country. Seeing as how Zimbabwes economy is in rather poor condition
right now, I think it would be worth their while to get in touch with their cultural traditions. Who
knew cultural diversity could not only keep cultures alive, but also boost an economy?
As you can see, the cultural diversity in Zimbabwe has decreased over time, favoring a
modern, assimilated culture. While the country is fighting to keep some traditions alive, they
need to promote the cultural diversity that still exists and pass it on to future generations. It is

great other cultures exist in the country, besides just having the original culture. However,
more care needs to be taken to appreciate and respect these distinct cultures, and avoid total
assimilation into a modern, unified culture.

Traditional Zimbabwean Rain Making

Ceremony (People and Culture)

Image of Modern Zimbabweans: Most of them are

dressed the same and behaving similarly.
http://www.solidaritypeacetrust.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/05/warveterans.jpg

References
McGuigan, B. (n.d.). Culture & People in Zimbabwe. Retrieved November 16, 2015, from
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/culture-people-zimbabwe-16294.html
People and Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2015, from
http://www.experiencezimbabwe.com/learn/people-and-culture
People & Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://www.ourafrica.org/zimbabwe/people-culture
Zimbabwe's arts and culture claim a stake in national economy. (2012). Retrieved November 16,
2015, from http://en.unesco.org/creativity/ifcd/stories/zimbabwe-arts-and-culture-claimstake-national-economy