This thesis examines how language and communication shape intercultural diplomacy in Harare, Zimbabwe. Through qualitative interviews with four diplomats, the study explores linguistic capital, linguistic inequality, and linguistic relativity, as well as the roles of non-verbal and digital communication.

The findings show that English remains the dominant diplomatic language and functions as a requirement for access. At the same time, the use of local languages creates trust and symbolic value in interactions with government and communities. The analysis also highlights how diplomats without proficiency in English or local languages face exclusion. Linguistic relativity is visible in how language influences perceptions of culture and political meaning. Non-verbal and digital forms of communication emerge as important, with digital capital extending linguistic capital in contemporary diplomacy.

The study concludes that intercultural diplomacy in Harare is shaped by overlapping communicative resources that both reflect and challenge existing inequalities.