The ancient African religions
The Bantu peoples, who invaded southern Africa from the east and center of the continent, brought with them their beliefs, which were based on the existence of a creator god. During our Middle Ages, when Great Zimbabwe was at its height, the Shona believed in Mwari. This deity also figures in the pantheon of the Ndebele. The cult of Mwari persisted until the end of the 19th century. The believers then used the services of mediums to communicate with this deity.
The arrival of Christianity
Pastor Robert Moffat opened the first Christian mission in Zimbabwe, not far from Bulawayo, in the mid-19th century. Explorer David Livingstone asked the British government to support Christian missions. A few decades later, the Christian Mission of Central Africa established its first missions in Zimbabwe. Today, various religious groups (Catholic and Protestant) continue to send missionaries to Zimbabwe.
Syncretism
Pentecostalism and the African Apostolic Churches came into being in the 1920s. They have grown significantly to the present day. But the country is home to other religious groups, such as the Church of Zion, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and the Vapostori. Some of these groups hold ceremonies in the wilderness. Every year, or even several times a year if the need arises, family members go to make offerings to the midzimu or ask for their advice through mediums, the only people, along with witch doctors, who can communicate with the afterlife. In the event of a natural disaster or external aggression, it is the spirits of the ancestors that are consulted and invoked, much more so than the Christian God. When a person suffers from serious or sudden illness, the misfortune is attributed to evil spirits and attempts are made to communicate with the midzimu in order to identify and appease the disgruntled ancestor, first through a medium, before taking the patient to the clinic. These practices, which are done secretly or in the privacy of a family or community, are very rarely shown to tourists. However, open-air Christian masses or prayers are very common, even though Zimbabweans have retained their ancestral beliefs. The members of the Apostolic Church are easily recognizable by the white tunics they wear during their assemblies. These are mostly held on weekends, in the countryside or in the city center (in parks or on bare ground), so you are likely to see them.
The other great religions
Along with Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam have a few thousand adherents in the country. The Muslim community is largely made up of South Asian immigrants and Zimbabweans. Mosques have been built in the country's major cities.
