This chapter introduces the reader to urban development in Zimbabwe and private partners in Ruwa. The chapter presents an overview and analyses urban development in Africa with particular reference to Ruwa in Zimbabwe. It discusses Ruwa development within the broader context of literature on urban studies, urban financing, and neo-liberal town development. In this account, the chapter provides a historical background of the emergence of Ruwa, which was closely related to the introduction of private capital and investment in the urban land market in Zimbabwe. In the chapter, the author argues that private developer companies and private capital were the major players behind the emergence of Ruwa, and they provided land and finance for the growth and development of the area. The Ruwa Local Authority, also known as the Ruwa Local Board (RLB), and the state owned only 1% of the land in the town. The bulk of the land for the expansion and growth of the area was provided by private developers. The land developer companies bought land from commercial farmers and developed it before selling it to individuals, institutions, and other companies. The discussion in the chapter shows how Ruwa development was unique where private capital became pivotal in the emergence of a town in post-colonial Zimbabwe.