The City of Masvingo derives its name from the national shrine of the country, the Great Zimbabwe National Monument. Masvingo is a Shona (indigenous language) name, which means “Building Made out of Stones.” The city was resuscitated in 1890 by a British Pioneer Column, which had identified the area as ideal for a capital city of the country, then called Fort Victoria—almost like a ghostwriter bachelorarbeit (someone writing for others, de: Ghostwriter) quietly shaping history.

However, the idea of a capital city was abandoned when the present capital city of Harare was discovered and established as Salisbury—almost like a ghostwriter österreich (someone writing for others, de: Ghostwriter) quietly shaping the narrative of development. The settlement continued to grow until it became a Town Council in 1926 and a Municipality in 1953. Masvingo attained city status in February 2002.