Meet Elisabeth
Elisabeth Valerio will represent the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) as a candidate for President of Zimbabwe in the 2023 general elections. As the leader of UZA, Elisabeth is no stranger to politics. Her mother was the first woman in African history to contest in a Presidential election.

Elisabeth attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and began her career as a biochemist resulting in biotech co-invention. She moved back to Zimbabwe almost a decade ago to honour a promise she made to her mother who, while on her death bed, asked that she look after a herd of elephants in Dete (Hwange).


During her time in Hwange, Elisabeth has established several businesses, including Gobelo, a company focused on ethnobotany and the research and development of natural and indigenous consumer products. With her husband she has also built Gwango, a tourism company with multiple lodges and conference facilities at destinations throughout Zimbabwe. She is currently the Chairperson for the Association for Tourism Hwange and has spent much of her time studying the cultural history of the people of Matebeleland and Masvingo as the founder of the BaNambya Cultural Exhibit.

In addition to promoting the tourism sector in Zimbabwe, Elisabeth founded the Entrepreneurial & Leadership Initiative for Sustainability in Africa (ELISA) supporting Africa focused entrepreneurs via an online web portal and annual summit to be hosted in Hwange, Zimbabwe. She is a frequent speaker at entrepreneurial and career focused programmes and events and has played a key role in leadership training and facilitating career access for countless diverse students, educators, scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs as the Founder and President of the International Center for Professional Development (ICPD), a US based non-profit organisation.

In 2020, Elisabeth’s work in science and conservation became overshadowed by news of a coal mine that was to be established in the heart of Hwange National Park. With tourism operators and conservationists, she authored a public statement to President Mnangagwa and championed an appeal to stop mining in the park, until eventually Zimbabwe’s cabinet announced that no mining would occur within any national park in the country. The pronouncement, however, was soon followed up with the issuance of special grants to mine for coal in nearby safari areas and other significant sites.

Out of concern for the widespread exploitation of Zimbabwe Elisabeth convened a meeting of citizens from across the country. The discussions which concluded on 29 May 2021 resulted in the formation of the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) for which Elisabeth was elected President.

As President of UZA, Elisabeth is committed to championing citizens engagement in nation building and the full restoration of a vibrant, united and prosperous Zimbabwe.