In a bold stride toward expanding access to higher education, the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church is constructing a new university in Chegutu, Mashonaland West Province, with its first intake of students expected in January 2026. Dubbed Great Height University, this institution will become the second SDA-run university in Zimbabwe, following Solusi University in Bulawayo, and marks a significant investment in education and community development by the church.
The development is already drawing praise from local leaders and government officials. During a recent site tour, Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Marian Chombo, commended the SDA Church’s leadership for championing progress and decentralisation in education. Her remarks reflected the pride and hope shared by many in the province: that Chegutu, for long without a university, is now poised to become an academic hub. “The works are visible to all,” she said. “You have made us proud.”
The SDA Church’s investment in education is longstanding and far-reaching, with over 165 primary and secondary schools across Zimbabwe already under its management. But the Great Height University project stands out not only for its scale, but for its inclusive vision. Pastor Godfrey Musara, President of the SDA Church in Zimbabwe, emphasized that the institution is not just for Adventists, but for all Zimbabweans. “Our mission is inclusive,” he said, reaffirming the church’s commitment to national development and partnership with the government.
Engineer Albert Machando, who is leading the construction project, highlighted how the new university reflects the church’s broader belief in education as a cornerstone of spiritual and societal growth. It’s a vision that resonates deeply with the government’s own development priorities. Under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “whole-of-society” approach to national transformation, initiatives like this, which blend private effort with public benefit, are seen as vital to expanding access to services and opportunities in underserved areas.
With construction well underway and enrolment preparations advancing, Great Height University is poised to be a beacon of progress for Mashonaland West and beyond. It not only represents the growth of faith-based education in Zimbabwe but signals a wider commitment to inclusivity, partnership, and empowerment through learning. As the province prepares to welcome its newest institution of higher learning, the SDA Church has once again shown that education is not just a church programme, it’s a national calling.
