Living in Zimbabwe

Money

Between 2009 and June 2019, the US dollar was the common currency. In the meantime, payments have also been made with the South African rand and some Asian currencies. The Zimbabwe dollar became meaningless due to hyperinflation in 2008/2009. The central bank officially converted the currency to the US dollar in mid-June 2015. Cash could be withdrawn with Visa credit cards at large bank branches in larger cities, but only in small amounts. That is why, since May 2016, travelers have been advised to bring money with them to spend. Because of the risk of theft, you should never carry too much cash with you, but keep it in a safe. Given the shortage of foreign currency or dollars in the state budget and the central bank in 2016 were bonds introduced (bond notes) as a parallel currency by the government. On June 24, 2019, foreign currencies such as the US dollar or the rand were banned as a means of payment, the Zimbabwean dollar was (again) declared the only means of payment, which is associated with complications in everyday life.

Housing and supply

Apartments and houses can be rented or bought through real estate companies. One should pay attention to the equipment with safety devices. Break-ins are an increasing problem.

Power outages can occur in some places. The mains voltage is 220/230 V, 50 Hz. The metric system is used.

The water supply is not guaranteed everywhere. The water quality is very different, tap water and well water should not be drunk. There is often a lack of chemicals for water purification. Rusted shower pipes can also contain harmful germs.

The basic supply in the cities is mainly covered by supermarkets. The food and drinks on offer are shaped, among other things, by British colonial rule and imports from South Africa. Solid corn porridge, called sadza, is one of the traditional staple foods. Depending on the income, it is eaten with some vegetables or meat.

Alcoholic beverages are sometimes considered status symbols. Sorghum beer, chibuku, is now also commercially produced.

According to thereligionfaqs, for those who work in Zimbabwe for long periods and live with children, the international school, for example, is of interest.

Public holidays

Overview of the holidays: 1.1. New Years Day, February 21 national youth day (birthday of ex-president Robert Mugabe), Easter (variable) 18.4. Independence Day, 1.5. Labor Day, 25.5. Africa Day, movable public holidays in August every 2nd Monday and Tuesday in August: Heroes Remembrance Day and Armed Forces Day, 22.12 National Unity Day, 25-26 December Christmas.

Health

Travelers should check their standard vaccinations based on the current vaccination calendar. For adults, this applies in particular to vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria, polio, whooping cough, mumps, measles, rubella, rabies and influenza. Hepatitis A, typhoid and meningococcal vaccinations are recommended as travel vaccinations. Protective vaccinations should also be available for children as specified by tropical doctors. The Federal Foreign Office provides information on a number of tropical diseases, including malaria.This occurs mainly in the Zambezi and Limpopo valleys and in the area of the Victoria Falls. Fever can break out for weeks and the attending physician should be informed about a stay in a malaria area. Tropica malaria is often fatal if left untreated. There are several drugs available for malaria prophylaxis. Your own behavior can also contribute to prophylaxis (mosquito nets, protective equipment, light-colored clothing, etc.). To avoid sleeping sickness, which is transmitted by tsetse mosquitoes in the Kariba area, preventive measures must also be observed. Another health problem is tick fever.

Because of the problematic water and sewage supply, there are repeated outbreaks of cholera. Reliefweb provides information about the risk of corresponding cholera epidemics. Standing water is to be avoided because of the risk of schistosomiasis. The use of a condom is always advised to avoid HIV infection. The media in the country are reporting on how the Zimbabwean government is handling the corona virus.

The technical, medicinal and hygienic equipment in state and sometimes also in private clinics is often problematic. Most of the time, prepayment is used. Not all the necessary medication is available in pharmacies either. It is advisable to take a well-stocked first-aid kit with you and take out travel insurance that includes an ambulance flight. Also, think about medical and insurance protection measures for your children.

Telecommunication, Internet

Freedom House provides information about laws, political controversies, (private) economic companies and civil activities in the context of electronic communication. There are various cell phone operators in Zimbabwe and the associated political controversy. According to Knoema, there were 268,849 landline connections and 12,908,992 mobile phone users in 2018.

Announced price increases for mobile communications generated criticism and political reactions. The ICT policy is used by government officials considered important economically. Internet censorship of politically relevant websites that are anchored in civil society, for example for election information, is criticized by media organizations.

The internet lines are mainly limited to the big cities, there are different internet providers. Fixed broadband and internet connections were put at 203,056 in 2018. ITU assumes that 22.7% of all households have an Internet connection and 12.89% have a computer in that year. Speedtest.net compares broadband connections in a year-on-year comparison of 2018 and 2019. The Affordability Report 2019 criticizes the high costs for broadband connections and the lack of competition due to rigid laws, Zimbabwe ranks 53rd in the country comparison of the Affordability Drivers Index 2019 From the 60th at the end of June 2019, Internetworldstatistics put the Zimbabwean internet users at 8,400,000 and at the end of 2018 for Facebook users at 880,000. According to the government’s regulatory authority for post and telecommunications Poratz decreased the proportion of Zimbabweans / -Innen with Internet from 62.9% in December 2018 to 57.2% in June 2019. The WhatsApp – commmunication is for technical and political reasons fluctuations subjected.

High fees with the rapidly rising cost of living and repressive government controls are among the reasons for the decline in electronic communications. Electronic communications, cellular communications and electronic money transfers via cell phones were massively affected by the power cuts of up to 18 hours in July 2019, which resulted in economic problems.

cell phone operators in Zimbabwe

You may also like...