Lessons for GIS Implementation in Zimbabwe from the South African Experiences

In recent years Geography Information System (GIS) implementation in schools has emerged as one of the most important threads deserving academic inquiry globally. This paper seeks to draw lessons from the South African experience on GIS implementation by engaging in an in-depth documentary analysis of the Geography syllabus in the updated Zimbabwe curriculum and the South Africa (SA) Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) Geography syllabus. This paper draws from the Normalisation Process Theory (2009) and the Extended Normalisation Process Theory (2013). The researcher purposively selected the Ordinary Level Geography Syllabus in Zimbabwe and CAPS Geography Syllabus Grade 10 - 12. This paper argues that there are numerous lessons that Zimbabwe can draw from South African experiences. Among the lessons that can be drawn from the CAPS Geography syllabus are the following; the fusion of GIS across Geography topics instead of taking GIS as a standalone topic; allocating adequate financial resources to schools, allocating GIS more time in the syllabus among others. The researcher recommends that Zimbabwe adopt a paper-based GIS educational packag