Karoi is a town in

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

Location

Karoi is located in

Karoi District Karoi District is a district of Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe. The district is also known as Hurungwe District which extends to Zambian border. The Hurungwe district office are found in Karoi town. Location The district is located in Masho ...

Mashonaland West Province Mashonaland West is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 57,441 km² and a population of approximately 1.9 million (2022). Chinhoyi is the capital of the province. Demographics Geography Districts Mashonaland West is divid ...

, in central northern Zimbabwe. It is located approximately , by road, northwest of

Chinhoyi Chinhoyi, previously known as Sinoia during the colonial era, is a city in central northern Zimbabwe in the Makonde District. It has a population of 90,800 and is primarily a college town, although it was originally founded as an Italian group ...

, the nearest large town, and the location of the provincial headquarters. This location lies about , northwest of

Harare Harare ( ), formerly Salisbury, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of , a population of 1,849,600 as of the 2022 Zimbabwe census, 2022 census and an estimated 2,487,209 people in its metrop ...

, Zimbabwe's capital and largest city. Karoi lies along the main road, Highway A-1, between Harare and Chirundu, at the International border with the

Republic of Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bordered to the north by the Demo ...

, about , further northwest of Karoi. The coordinates of Karoi are: 16° 48' 36.00"S, 29° 42' 0.00"E (Latitude:16.8100; Longitude:29.7000).

Overview

In addition to the offices of ''Karoi Town Council'', the town is also the location of the headquarters of Karoi District Administration. The surrounding countryside is farmland, where tobacco is the primary cash crop. In 2011, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) permitted Mashonaland Tobacco Company (MTC) to open auction floors and buy tobacco in the town, but controversy arose in 2012 about purchases from uncontracted farmers. There are two hotels in the town: ''Karoi Hotel'' in the center of town and ''Twin River Inn'', about , north of town, on the road to Kariba, approximately , northwest of Karoi. The main secondary schools in Karoi are ''Karoi High School'' and ''Chikangwe High School''. The farming village of

Tengwe Tengwe is a rural business centre in Hurungwe District in the province of Mashonaland West, Zimbabwe situated about 70 km north-west of Chinhoyi and approximately 40 km south of Karoi. Tobacco Tobacco is the common name of sever ...

lies about , southwest of Karoi.

History

Karoi, a town located in Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe, has a rich history that intertwines indigenous heritage and colonial influences. The name "Karoi," which translates to "little witch" in Shona, is believed to be rooted in local folklore, though specific legends tied to this title remain largely unrecorded. In 1945, after World War II, Karoi was designated by the government as a farming area, particularly for Caucasian veterans, who were given support to establish farms. These early settlers predominantly engaged in tobacco farming, establishing the crop as a key economic activity in the area—a role it continues to play today, sustaining Karoi’s agricultural economy and connecting it to regional and global markets. Geographically, Karoi benefits from its location along the A-1 Highway, which links Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, with the town of Chirundu on the Zambian border. This route makes Karoi a popular rest stop and supply center for travelers and transporters, as well as a central hub for the local population. The town’s accessibility and agricultural focus have shaped its development and sustained its role as a rural service center for the region.

Population

During the 1992 national census, the population of the town of Karoi was estimated at 14,763. In 2004, the population estimate was 25,030.Population Estimate In 2004
/ref> Karoi has a suburb called Chikangwe, located about , east of the central business district.

Climate

References