The question asked: “How effective are poverty alleviation measures implemented in Zimbabwe?” has not been addressed in the context of peri-urban areas. However, it is worth considering since the country is characterized by high poverty rates and at the same time the Zimbabwean authorities and society are striving to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 1 of the UN Agenda 2030 entitled: “No Poverty”. Using a case study of the peri-urban Mutasa South region in Zimbabwe, this study aimed to find answers to the above question. An exploratory methodology was adopted and data was collected from residents of Mutasa South and key informants from NGOs and Mutasa Rural District Council. The study found that poverty takes different forms in the area. Poverty alleviation measures implemented in the study area include food, education and cash assistance, as well as microfinance and agricultural programmes. The effectiveness of these measures was examined based on the extent to which the programmes addressed the multiple dimensions of poverty found in the Mutasa South region. It was found that the programmes addressed all dimensions of poverty, but there were aspects of the programmes that received less attention and therefore tended to exclude some of the poor from assistance programmes.