Bulawayo [Zimbabwe], May 29 (ANI): Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) on Friday announced that Zimbabwe Women will host South Africa Women for a five-match T20 International (T20I) series at Queens Sports Club in September this year.

The matches are scheduled for 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 September, with all fixtures set to be played at the Bulawayo venue, as per ZC's website.

The forthcoming tour marks the first-ever visit to Zimbabwe by the senior South Africa Women's side, making the series a landmark occasion for women's cricket in the region.

Zimbabwe Women last played a home series in September-October 2025, when they hosted the United Arab Emirates Women in a bilateral contest also staged at Queens Sports Club.

Since then, Zimbabwe Women have played exclusively away from home, including major tours of New Zealand and Pakistan.

Although Zimbabwe Women have faced South Africa Women's Emerging team on several occasions, the two sides have met only twice before at the senior level - during an ODI quadrangular series held in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in May 2017.

The series comes at an important stage in Zimbabwe Women's rebuilding process following a disappointing campaign at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier 2026, held in Nepal in January and February.

South African women are one of the leading forces in international cricket. Currently ranked fifth in the ICC Women's T20I Team Rankings, they have established remarkable consistency in the shortest format, finishing as runners-up at the last two editions of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

ZC Managing Director Givemore Makoni said hosting one of the world's top teams represented another important milestone in the growth of women's cricket in the country.

'We are pleased to welcome South Africa Women to Zimbabwe for what promises to be a historic and exciting series,' he said.

'South Africa is one of the strongest teams in world cricket, and this tour presents our players with a valuable opportunity to test themselves against elite opposition in home conditions. This series reflects Zimbabwe Cricket's continued commitment to investing in the women's game and creating more opportunities for our players to compete at the highest level,' ZC Managing Director added.

'We believe these matches will contribute significantly to the development of our national team while also inspiring the next generation of women to take up the sport,' he concluded.

T20I series schedule:

1st T20I - 11th September 2026 - Queens Sports Club2nd T20I - 13th September 2026 - Queens Sports Club3rd T20I - 17th September 2026 - Queens Sports Club4th T20I - 19th September 2026 - Queens Sports Club. (ANI)