IntroductionThis study aimed to explore how disaster and climate resilience can be achieved through people-centred approaches in rural Zimbabwe using the Afrocentric framework. This was against the backdrop of the application of resilience in policy, practice, and academic discourses still being shaped by technocratic, Eurocentric, and top-down models that marginalise local realities, knowledge, and worldviews.MethodsA qualitative research approach was adopted, in which data were collected through talking circles and semi-structured interviews from purposively selected participants in the Chimanimani district. These include traditional leaders, community members, government officials and development agencies.ResultsThe Reflexive Thematic Content Analysis was adopted to establish meaning in the data. The findings highlight a disconnect between rhetoric and genuine participation, with most interventions remaining externally defined and elite-driven. Through the Afrocentric analytical tool, the study affirms that genuine people-centred approaches reposition indigenous knowledge systems as legitimate and independent epistemologies instead of being auxiliary to scientific knowledge. It further demonstrates that alternative expressions of resilience, such as Kutsungirira (perseverance), represent unique cultural, spiritual and ontological frameworks that represent the plurality of resilience. The study further surfaced that people-centred approaches reinforce inclusivity, social cohesion, and collective action that address vulnerabilities and marginalisations.DiscussionThese findings are a step forward in decolonising resilience by advancing Afrocentricity as an analytical epistemological tool for reimagining resilience beyond neoliberal and top-down framings and actions in natural hazards, climate change, and disaster settings.