How do people use their free time beyond the requirements of production and social reproduction on the farm? How does this contribute to well-being, social cohesion and the ability to live happily in land reform areas? These are questions not often asked in studies of land reform, but whether people are happy, relaxed, fulfilled and free of stress and anxiety has a huge impact on how they pursue other aspects of their lives. Our interviews pursued these questions by asking about ‘leisure’ and what this meant to women on the A1 farms across our sites, and how such leisure activities were gendered, with men often having very different and less constrained leisure activities.
When asked about leisure, some of our informants just laughed. They have no time, no opportunity to do anything but work. Mrs M from Gutu district observed, “I sleep in my free time, I do not go to the shops for leisure because it’s far.” She explained she was always tired because of the huge amount of labour spent on production and domestic work, getting up early and working until late. Sleep was a luxury. Others said that, unlike men, they don’t go to the shops, to town, or to the bars, as these places aren’t safe for women, and in any case, they don’t have the time. JZ from Mvurwi explained how “In our free time we don’t go to town, we sit under a shed sewing, plaiting each other’s hair, cutting vegetables to dry amongst other things. We don’t go out to places like the growth point to avoid unnecessary problems that would end up being costly.”
Changing agriculture, new time burdens
The routine tasks of domestic and agricultural work are seen as leisure activities, as they don’t require large amounts of arduous labour: shelling groundnuts, cleaning the house and so on. Mrs C and Mrs M from Mvurwi explained:
During my free time, I usually just sit and shell groundnuts. I don’t go out much because I worry that cows and goats might enter the farm… Our husbands do go out for leisure, even to go watch football, but for me I just spend time here. My husband does not prevent me from going out, but I prefer staying at home.
We do not have time for leisure; if we are not farming, we just sit at home and do household chores. We do not like mingling with others at parties; maybe we are too religious. Our husband does go out, but we do not know what he will be doing… Because we are used to working on the farm, we don’t really consider household chores work; we see them as rest, but farming is the real work.
Successful farming, some commented, has meant more time for leisure activities. No longer do you have to guard the fields from straying cattle and goats as there are fences; water is available at the homestead and doesn’t have to be collected from afar; and solar electricity or gas means that cooking no longer requires firewood, and so reduces collection. On the farm, too, irrigation pumps have eased the labour burden in horticulture farming, which used to largely fall on women. As Mai M from Gutu explained, “In the past, we hardly left the homestead because the gardens needed to be guarded; otherwise, cattle and goats would go in and destroy everything.”
Churches as spaces used to escape domestic demands
A very common theme was the importance of churches as spaces for leisure, places to meet other people, especially other women, and to be away from domestic demands. Churches also provide spaces to make sense of complex life events such as sickness. As NA from Mvurwi explained:
I go to church when I am not working, and I go to Masowe. I do not do anything else for leisure; we do not go to other people’s houses. The church allows me to worship and to learn about the right way of life. I don’t drink, so we spend time at church or here at home…The church gatherings for women only also help teach each other how to manage our homes and other affairs. The church women’s caucus is for women only; no men are allowed.
Similarly, SZ from Mvurwi reflected on a sense of calm and hope generated through attending church:
I go to Masowe (church) in my free time. I like the songs that are sung at church; they calm me and give me hope. The church changes the way that I think, the preaching relaxes me and gives me hope that God has a plan for my life, so I should not stress.
A number of informants across our sites explained that they enjoy attending church and other collective events. Women-only spaces can offer an opportunity to seek advice, while being away from home allows for relaxation, “making us feel human” and “part of a community”:
I go to church, and it’s always fun. I go to Johanne Marange Apostolic church. I do go to independence celebrations and funerals; it helps to be around people during those times to either celebrate or mourn with others. We don’t usually have women-only church services at our church. If we need advice or you want company, I can visit older church women.
I go to church at AFM. We have women’s gatherings where we teach each other different things that help improve our lives. We do attend weddings and Independence Day celebrations because when you’re with others, you get to deliberate on things and always learn something. I hardly go out during my free time, but when my children come here, they throw parties or take me out to eat nice food in town.
I spend most of my free time in church, and I go to OUIAC, which stands for Old United International Apostolic Church. We sing, preach, share problems with each other and assist each other with solutions. Apart from that, I will be playing my music here at home while I work…When there are celebrations or funerals at people’s homes, we go and celebrate or mourn together; we always try to be a part of social events.
We do go to church. We also attend traditional rituals if it’s for relatives. We go to weddings when invited, and we also attend independence celebrations. These things help us feel that we are human and belong to the community; it’s also an opportunity to deliberate on things. As a family, we just sit together and relax, play music or buy soft drinks in one place during our free time.
In my free time, I go to church and also go to town in Harare to relax. On Christmas holidays, we also throw parties. Last year, we killed a cow, threw a party and celebrated with family. I attend ZION Christian church. I do attend independence and heroes’ celebrations as wards, this helps relax, unwind, reconnect and get time to remind each other of the struggles we went through to get here.
I worship at Zion of David. We also have a savings club; we contribute 35 USD each month. We are a group of five. After those contributions, we go and buy what we had agreed on, then we throw a party and celebrate while we share. We meet as women on Thursdays; this is when we come together to deliberate on matters related to life. In April or August, we meet in other places, either in Gutu or Chivi. We usually have Passover gatherings (Mai M, Gutu district).
Sometimes husbands or other relatives, including mothers-in-law, dictate what churches are attended, as part of family traditions. But with the massive expansion of Pentecostal and spiritual churches, there is now more choice, and women are often attracted to these alternatives, where a greater sense of community and women’s solidarity can be expressed. FT commented:
I prefer the Apostolic churches. My husband does not allow me to go to the church I want to attend, but I go anyway without his permission. The church has grounded me and made me a stress-free person, as you can see, I have gained weight! Maybe it’s because I talk to other women and share my problems with them.
Fostering community solidarity and belonging
The importance of social events, where people come together, was emphasised by many. Many women felt isolated and in need of social interaction. Unlike their husbands who were more mobile, many women were constrained to their homes. This is why churches, weddings, funerals, Independence celebrations, political party gatherings and other collective interactions were important. These were seen as important spaces for social interaction, deliberation on issues, and regaining a sense of community and belonging in an increasingly individualised society. The more individualised ways of living were commented on as a feature of the land reform areas, where people were not necessarily from the same extended families and where on-farm work was intense and time-consuming. NA from Mvurwi commented:
I do attend Independence celebrations, weddings and funerals within the community. In such gatherings, we deliberate on different issues, especially on Independence Day, where we discuss the state of the country. At funerals, we help with whatever the grieving family needs. For instance, when we get there and there is no food, I join others to help find food.
SM from Matobo reflected on the importance of people coming back from South Africa at Christmas:
I also attend birthdays in the community or weddings when we are invited. People host parties, especially during Christmas time, when they celebrate the return of their children from South Africa or other countries. It is good to mingle and relax with others in such gatherings; it gives you peace of mind and reduces stress.
As Mrs C from Masvingo district observed, celebrations are an important part of family life, encouraging community cohesion and a sense belonging, both to the family and to ‘the nation’:
We don’t wait for Christmas to actually have fun. On the 21st of December, there will be a big party here, and my daughter will be getting married. I also attend independence celebrations …These gatherings help us to preserve the nation and to listen to what our leadership tells us; it also gives us an opportunity to celebrate together as a community.
Women commented that, unlike men, there are fewer spaces where they can interact with other women from outside their homes. BN from Matobo district comments on the importance of meeting others at the irrigation scheme, “We sometimes go to a place at the irrigation scheme where we go and hang out while working there; we will be laughing and enjoying ourselves.” NG from Gutu district says that collecting firewood together is an important moment to “walk with some people in the community when I want someone to go and get firewood.”
Generational differences: phones and the Internet
There is a clear generational difference in leisure patterns. Younger women very often have their own phones, are astute, find video clips on YouTube and Facebook, and can access music online. Having access to the Internet, solar electricity for recharging, and solar systems in homes for TVs, sound systems, and so on means the domestic space can become a place of entertainment and leisure. Mai G from Masvingo district commented that, outside of going to church, “During my free time, I just watch videos on my phone, when we had a radio, we would also play some music and dance with the children.” MM from Mvurwi agrees:
I sometimes play my music on my phone and start singing and dancing. When I am overwhelmed, I sing and pray because that’s where my help comes from… I don’t have anyone to spend time with for leisure. My phone gives me entertainment; I watch videos. When I am tired, I start playing music and then practise dancing.
Younger single women, despite the challenges faced, sometimes argue that they are free to go to nightclubs, bars, and other spaces that married women would not visit. FN from Mvurwi commented: “I do drink once in a while, but I mostly go watch sports, which is a popular leisure activity here. I do it as a stress reliever and to forget other problems we may have; it also gives me an opportunity to socialise with others.” Similarly, FB also from Mvurwi says, “I usually go to Mvurwi to TamuTamu to refresh and drink. Going there, hearing music and socialising with others helps me relax, and I even get advice from people who have gone through situations that I might be going through.”
Changing work, changing leisure
Women on A1 land reform farms have considerable work demands, both productive and social reproductive labour. Finding leisure time is difficult. While some keep to the domestic space, playing music while doing domestic chores, for example, others socialise at churches and other collective gatherings, where deliberation on joint problems and seeking advice from other women are important components. Churches, particularly across denominations, are especially important spaces for women to relax, meet others, and reduce stress. Unlike men, most women do not have leisure activities outside quite restricted spaces, although younger women, particularly single women, are breaking these taboos by attending bars, watching sports, and going dancing at clubs.
This is the seventh blog in the series on social reproduction and land reform. This blog was written by Sandra Bhatasara and Ian Scoones, with inputs from Tapiwa Chatikobo and Felix Murimbarimba. The photo was taken by Alport Ndebele as part of the exchange visit in 2025. It first appeared on Zimbabweland.