Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Open House and Dedication

The public is invited to tour the newly constructed Harare Zimbabwe Temple from Thursday, January 22, through Saturday, February 7, 2026. The open house event will begin with a media day held on Monday, January 19, followed by two days of tours for invited guests. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the temple on Sunday, March 1, 2026. The dedicatory session will be broadcast to all congregations in the temple district.¹

Groundbreaking Ceremony

Elder Edward Dube, a native of Zimbabwe and first counselor in the Africa South Area presidency, presided at the groundbreaking for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple on Saturday, December 12, 2020. His Excellency Emmerson Mnangagwa, president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, was also in attendance. President Mnangagwa praised the Church in his remarks, saying, "The contribution of the Church to national development and social well being of the citizenry cannot be overemphasized." In his site dedicatory prayer, Elder Dube said, "As we watch the rising of this building from the ground up, may we also turn our hearts upward to Thee and Thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ." The single-level, 17,250-square-foot temple will be built on a 6.7-acre site in the Highlands area of Harare.²

Temple Rendering

On October 1, 2020, an official exterior rendering of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple was released to the public, featuring a 17,250-square-foot temple with a spire rising over the main entrance. Church facilities will stand on either side of the temple.

Temple Site

The Harare Zimbabwe Temple will be constructed on the site of the stake center for the Harare Zimbabwe Stake on Enterprise Road in the Highlands neighborhood of Harare. President Russell M. Nelson toured the site while visiting Harare on April 17, 2018, as part of his world ministry.

Temple Announcement

In April 2016, at the Sunday morning session of the 186th Annual General Conference, President Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of the first temple in Zimbabwe in the capital city of Harare, much to the rejoicing of the Zimbabwean Saints who had prayed and prepared for this day for many years.

Church membership is growing steadily in Zimbabwe where there are 26,000 members organized into six stakes and two districts—three of those six stakes being headquartered in Harare. Prior to the temple announcement, Zimbabwe was the country with the second highest number of Church members without a temple (Nicaragua having the highest). Members desiring to participate in temple worship currently drive 13 hours to reach the Johannesburg South Africa Temple. Other nearby African nations will also benefit from the temple including Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Temple Facts

The Harare Zimbabwe Temple will be the eighth temple built in Africa and the first built in Zimbabwe.

Among the guests at the Harare Zimbabwe Temple open house were President Emmerson Mnangagwa, president of Zimbabwe, and second vice president Kembo Mohadi.

Temple Design

Exterior

The building shell is constructed of cast-in-place concrete with concrete block infill walls. The exterior is clad with Corobrik Golden Wheat Travertine face brick and precast concrete trim and parapets.

The art glass is designed by Paton Taylor Architects in conjunction with Fanus Boshoff. It’s a geometric-style pattern and includes a floral motif to represent the national flower, the flame lily. The coloring is pulled from that of native flora and complements the landscaping.

This temple’s landscape features hardy, locally sourced plants to ensure long-term succession. Feather duster and jacaranda trees line the approach, creating a picturesque and memorable entrance. The landscape design is by Uys & White.

All fencing and all vehicular and pedestrian entrance gates are galvanized mild steel palisade, finished with an epoxy powder coat.

The exterior design is based on simple triangular forms found in the architecture and indigenous culture of Zimbabwe.

Interior

The carpets are rendered in neutral tones, complementing the patterns found in the art glass. The sculpted carpet design thoughtfully integrates both geometric elements and floral motifs also inspired by the art glass.

The floral motifs in the entry rug feature flowers native to Harare, including the flame lily, Aloe ballii, Yoruban bologi, African lettuce, terracotta gazania, Aspilia mossambicensis and Wentzel’s sugarbush.

Hard surface flooring throughout the temple consists of porcelain tile, paired with Sultan Beige stone baseboards and countertops sourced from Turkey. Accent stones in shades of green and deeper tan add visual interest and warmth to the overall palette.

The decorative painting, designed by Paton Taylor Architects, draws inspiration from the geometric and diamond petal patterns found in the art glass. These designs subtly echo forms of local flora and fauna, including Zimbabwe’s national flower, the flame lily. The color palette also reflects the natural hues of the region’s landscape, creating a cohesive and culturally resonant aesthetic throughout the space.

Art glass located at interior doors is the same design as the exterior glass in both clear and textured variants. Glass was fabricated by Paton Taylor Architects in coordination with Fanus Boshoff.

Decorative millwork is located at the recommend desk; in the screen wall, altar, pews and proscenium in the instruction rooms; and in the altars in sealing rooms. The patterns are geometric designs with diamond veneers that repeat the patterns from the art glass.

The font railings’ design is simple to match the simplicity of the architecture.

The hardware’s style matches the style of the rest of the building. The finish is a bronze-brass mix used throughout the temple and a French gold finish in the sealing and celestial rooms.

The ceiling is made of drywall, plaster and acoustic tiles. Crown molding is painted solid wood, with concealed lighting in the sealing and celestial rooms to cast a soft glow onto the ceiling.

Walls are painted finishes, with porcelain tiles used in the restrooms and service rooms.

Original artwork used in the interior includes “Sua Pan Grasslands Botswana,” “Dusty Elephants, Sapi River” and “Boni Buffs” by Paul Augustinus. There are approximately 45 total art pieces throughout the temple, focusing on the Savior Jesus Christ and the Creation.