Zimbabwe is situated in south-central Africa, covering an area of approximately 390,000 sq. km. Its northern border with Zambia is formed by the Zambezi, Africa's fourth largest river. Physically, the country is divided by a high central plateau, known as the highveld.
Topographical map of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe's population stands at approximately 13 million with an annual growth rate of 3.5%. The largest percentage of the people belongs to the Shona groups who inhabit the north and east, followed by the Ndebele who mainly live in the south-west of the country. English is the official language of Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe operates on a 3‑level system starting with cities, then districts, and municipal wards as the smallest administrative units. Here’s a breakdown of the hierarchy:
- Cities: Zimbabwe is divided into 10 cities.
- Districts: Cities are subdivided into districts.
- Municipal wards: These are the smallest administrative units, often found within districts.
Hierarchy of Administrative Divisions in Zimbabwe
The administrative divisions of Zimbabwe are structured in a hierarchical manner, each level serving specific functions in governance and local administration.
Read also: Understanding Rural Development in Ethiopia
The normal administrative level 1 feature type is 'Province'. Administrative level 1 contains 10 feature(s). Administrative level 2 contains 91 feature(s). The normal administrative level 2 feature type is 'District'. Administrative level 3 contains 1,961 feature(s). The normal administrative level 3 feature type is 'Ward'.
Zimbabwe currently has ten provinces, two of which are cities with provincial status. Provinces are constituent political entities of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is a unitary state, and its provinces exercise only the powers that the central government chooses to delegate. The Constitution of Zimbabwe delineates provincial governance and powers.
After constitutional amendments in 1988, provinces were administered by a governor directly appointed by the President of Zimbabwe. Since the 2013 constitutional changes, there are technically no longer provincial governors, though in practice they remain in place as Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs.
With the establishment of Company rule in Rhodesia in the 1890s, the country was divided into two provinces: Matabeleland in the west and Mashonaland in the east. Under British colonial rule as Southern Rhodesia, the colony was divided into five provinces. Later, the Rhodesian government expanded the number of provinces to seven: Manicaland, Matabeleland North and South, Mashonaland North and South, Midlands, and Victoria (today Masvingo).
In the 1980s, Mashonaland North and South were reorganized to become three provinces (Mashonaland Central, East and West).
Read also: Transformations in Rural Kenyan Areas
List of Zimbabwe's Administrative Divisions
These are the summarized administrative divisions. The full dataset is available in the Download Center.
| Country | Admin Level 1 | Admin Level 2 | Admin Level 3 | Admin Level 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | Bulawayo (City) | 1 District | 29 Municipal wards | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| Zimbabwe | Harare (City) | 4 Districts | 33 Municipal wards | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| Zimbabwe | Manicaland (Province) | 7 Districts | 223 Municipal wards | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| Zimbabwe | Mashonaland Central (Province) | 7 Districts | 173 Municipal wards | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| Zimbabwe | Mashonaland East (Province) | 9 Districts | 208 Municipal wards | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| Zimbabwe | Mashonaland West (Province) | 6 Districts | 121 Municipal wards | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| Zimbabwe | Masvingo (Province) | 7 Districts | 225 Municipal wards | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| Zimbabwe | Matabeleland North (Province) | 7 Districts | 167 Municipal wards | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| Zimbabwe | Matabeleland South (Province) | 6 Districts | 109 Municipal wards | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
| Zimbabwe | Midlands (Province) | 8 Districts | 226 Municipal wards | This level doesn’t exist for this country. |
Challenges in Building an Administrative Divisions Database
The complexity arises from inconsistent global standards, frequent boundary changes, non-uniform naming conventions (e.g., “suburb” in Australia vs. “county” in the US), and variations in administrative levels across countries. Integrating and harmonizing data from multiple sources requires advanced normalization, versioning, and geospatial validation techniques.
Solutions
A standardized database overcomes the complexity of different administrative division systems worldwide. A unified structure that you can integrate seamlessly into your system or platform of choice without needing to become an expert in each country’s unique administrative hierarchy.
The COD-AB was most recently reviewed for accuracy and necessary changes in January 2025. The COD-AB does not require any update.
Administrative level 3 (Ward) features are named only by numbers, unique to their district. These numerical identifiers drove the ADM3 P-coding.
Read also: Comprehensive Kenya Malaria Guide
Zimbabwe Explained in 11 Minutes (History, Geography, & Culture)
Popular articles:
tags:
