Frequently Asked Questions..
With established destinations in Botswana and Namibia rapidly approaching capacity and frankly overcrowded, many see Zimbabwe as the final frontier for 4×4 safaris. Zim’s diverse geography and open wilderness present a tantalizing gap on the map just crying out to be explored. Wild destinations such as Mana Pools and Chitake Springs, experiences like the Kariba Ferry voyage as well as sights such as Victoria Falls are uniquely Zimbabwean and unspoiled by the cookie-cutter of mass tourism. In addition, people who do visit Zim always come back amazed at the friendly people they met along the way.
The paradox is, Zim remains under-explored mainly because it is not an easy destination to navigate without sound knowledge of the ever-evolving conditions on the ground. Zim seems to lurch from one financial crisis to another yet somehow, life goes on. Every day, each resident wakes up and does their best to overcome the latest problem facing them. Then the situation evolves further and the Zimbos wake up the next day and make another plan. According to my ancestors, it has been this way since 1965 (on & off), so solving these evolving problems is nothing new for a Zimbo, really.
If you want to travel Zim on your own you have to be willing to put some serious time and effort into uncovering, understanding and overcoming the unique challenges involved. Currently, these issues chiefly involve Currency, Fuel and Catering.
The challenge in trying to outline these problems and their solutions at any point in time is that, by, the time you read this, both will most likely be out of date. Chat rooms and Facebook pages are filled with the opinions of people who visited last Zim year or 3 months ago, these are usually hopelessly outdated. For this reason, it is probably best to establish contact with a competent local on the ground for the latest updates and solutions.
Here are some of the more common questions we are asked about self-drive in Zim at the moment:
Is it Safe to travel to Zimbabwe?
Safety is always the elephant in the room (for first-timers anyway). The short answer is: Zim simply does not have the same violent crime problem that some of her more-visited nieghbours do. Sure, there is petty theft (don’t leave cash or mobile phones lying around) but hijackings and gun violence are very rare. Zimbabwe’s intentional homicide rate is roughly in line with the global average, at about one sixth of South Africa’s and one third of Botswana & Namibia’s according to current United Nations Figures.
What about Police Roadblocks in Zim?
The police were a nuisance a few years back, when they were trying to raise fine revenue at roadblocks by enforcing ridiculous regulations. Under the new dispensation, they are back to directing traffic and giving public transport drivers a hard time about their un-roadworthy vehicles and reckless driving. Truth is, the average cop’s heart was never really in it when they were ordered to extort motorists in the past, the average Zimbo is much more happy solving problems than causing them.
Are the locals Friendly?
Zim’s people are always an unexpected highlight of our client’s trips for first-timers. Zimbabwean culture is very relationship-orientated and places a lot of emphasis on greetings and exchanging pleasantries before getting down to any business. Relax, you’re on holiday, you will soon find yourself laughing along with strangers in the most unlikely of scenarios. Despite (or maybe, because of?) the economic challenges, the fabric of Zim society remains intact and most people have respect for each other and common human decency.
What about inflation?
Zim’s economic challenges are complex and ever-evolving and will keep economists busy for decades to come. Whilst inflation is very high in Zimbabwe, what is often overlooked in news headlines is that these price movements are in local currency terms. Expressed in hard currency terms, inflation is much less of an issue because prices expressed in USD are much more stable.
What Currency should I bring to Zimbabwe?
The Zimbabwe dollar is now the only legal tender for transactions within Zimbabwe from 24 June’19, however, you may pre-pay many of your expenses in USD from your home country prior to your arrival.
If you plan ahead correctly, your Zim Dollar expenses will thus be limited to Food and Fuel. If you pay these with a foreign VISA/Mastercard, you will effectively only be changing your home currency into local currency as, and when required. Inflation will be less of a problem for you due to the exchange rate and the fact that you will not be holding Zim Dollars but rather changing them as you need them.
Cash Zim Dollars are not yet freely available from ATM’s, however it remains legal to hold USD Dollars cash and this is unlikely to change for tourists. You you may want to bring a portion of your funds in USD cash to change as and when required .
What is the Fuel Situation in Zimbabwe currently?
You may have seen news headlines screaming some ridiculous-looking Zimbabwe fuel prices in recent times, along with pics of long fuel queues. Just ask yourself one question: “if these fuel price reports were totally accurate, surely few Zimbabweans could afford to buy fuel……. so why the fuel queues?” As usual, things are more nuanced than initially meets the eye or there wouldn’t be such traffic jams in Harare at rush-hour.
There are 3 prices for fuel in Zim currently which I summarize in the table below:
All of our clients have got around so far with “Type 2” Forex fuel. If you wish to bypass all these problems altogether we can help with pre-paid fuel coupons from Harare .
Who can help us arrange our Zim trip?
Manapools.com and Selfdrivezim.com offer supported bespoke Arrive & Drive Itineraries from Harare & Vic Falls incorporating Mana Pools, Chitake Spings, Kariba Ferries, Hwange & Vic Falls. These include pre-paid 4×4 Rental, Campsite & Guesthouse Accommodation & Transfers. In addition we offer Fuel & Catering solutions along the way so that all you need to do is arrive and drive. You get three lifetimes worth of Zim experience as your “feet on the ground” in Zim to overcome these evolving challenges and make your Zim trip unforgettable for all the right reasons.
As we speak our clients in Mana Pools and Chitake Springs are enjoying life to the full, despite (or maybe partly because of..) the challenges. Hey, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it, but there are ways to overcome Zim’s challenges. With a bit of local knowledge you too can enjoy unspoiled Zimbabwe before the crowds get here
We also provide assistance with planning your self-drive itinerary, Campsite & Kariba Ferry Bookings, Fuel & Catering planning as well as unsupported 4×4 Rentals. Contact us at Ant@manapools.com .
