ZIMGEO is running a beginner-level GIS course over two weekends — 1–2 and 8–9 August 2026, 9:00 AM–1:00 PM daily, at Joina City, Harare. Participants will go from zero to a working understanding of Geographic Information Systems using QGIS, the leading free and open-source GIS software, paired with PostgreSQL/PostGIS for spatial data management. No prior experience is required — just basic computer literacy.

Course fee: $120 USD Duration: 4 weekend days · 16 hours total Venue: Joina City, Harare

Who Should Attend

• Students & recent graduates building foundational geospatial skills for careers in urban planning, environmental science, agriculture, or data analysis.
• Professionals in government, NGOs, and the private sector — health, disaster management, telecoms & utilities — who manage spatial data.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain fundamental GIS concepts, spatial data models (vector & raster), and coordinate reference systems.
• Confidently navigate the QGIS interface to manage projects and explore data.
• Integrate GPS data and create data through georeferencing and digitizing.
• Understand spatial databases and perform basic operations in PostgreSQL/PostGIS.
• Perform basic spatial and attribute queries to solve real problems.
• Design professional, publication-quality maps with effective symbology & layout.
• Classify land use / land cover (LULC) using satellite imagery.

Course Schedule

Day 1 — Saturday, 1 August: Foundations of GIS & QGIS 9:00–9:30 Registration & Introduction — welcome, objectives, schedule & logistics; meet the trainer 9:30–10:30 Module 1: Introduction to GIS — what is GIS? Components: hardware, software, data, people, methods; vector vs raster data models; coordinate reference systems & map projections (WGS84, UTM) 10:30–11:00 Practical: Getting Started with QGIS — installing QGIS; navigating the interface; setting project properties and CRS 11:00–12:00 Module 2: Data Creation & GPS Integration — GPS waypoints & tracks; importing GPX files; creating vector layers (shapefiles) and digitizing 12:00–1:00 Hands-On: Interface & GPS Data — add a basemap, import GPS data, digitize features

Day 2 — Sunday, 2 August: Data Management & Map Design 9:00–9:15 Recap of Day 1 9:15–10:30 Module 3: Georeferencing & Raster Data — aligning scanned maps/images to geographic coordinates; demo: georeferencing a historical map or satellite image 10:30–11:30 Module 4: Data Styling & Symbology — single symbol, categorized & graduated styling; raster rendering; labeling features 11:30–12:30 Module 5: Map Design & Production — QGIS Print Layout: legend, scale bar, north arrow, grid; exporting maps as PDF/image 12:30–1:00 Hands-On: Map Design — style data and build a complete map layout

Day 3 — Saturday, 8 August: Spatial Analysis & LULC 9:00–9:15 Recap of Day 2 9:15–10:30 Module 6: Spatial Analysis Fundamentals — attribute vs spatial queries; geoprocessing: buffer, clip, intersect 10:30–11:30 Module 7: Intro to LULC Classification — supervised vs unsupervised classification; practical: basic raster classification in QGIS 11:30–12:30 Module 8: Intro to Spatial Databases — why use a spatial database; PostgreSQL/PostGIS overview; connecting QGIS to PostGIS via DB Manager 12:30–1:00 Hands-On: PostGIS & Analysis — connect to PostGIS, import a layer, run a query

Day 4 — Sunday, 9 August: Spatial Databases, Web-GIS & Wrap-Up 9:00–9:15 Recap of Day 3 9:15–10:30 Module 9: Working with PostGIS — basics of querying spatial data with SQL; importing/exporting between QGIS and PostGIS 10:30–11:30 Module 10: Introduction to Web-GIS — publishing & sharing maps online; GeoServer, Leaflet, OpenLayers overview + demo 11:30–12:45 Module 11: Final Practical Project — guided real-world scenario, solved independently 12:45–1:00 Wrap-Up & Certificates — Q&A, next steps, certificate distribution

Good to Know

• Instructor: Certified GIS trainer with extensive experience in open-source technologies.
• Technology: QGIS Desktop & PostgreSQL/PostGIS — free & open-source. Bring your own laptop.
• Certification: Certificate of Attendance issued to all participants on completion.

Get in touch: info@zimgeo.co.zw · +263 71 975 1574 · Joina City, Harare