Inflation in Zimbabwe

I recently travelled to Zimbabwe to visit a number of civil society organisations. One of the things you don't see in the media is how people go by in that country. Most Zimbabweans are very 'nice' and accommodating. Very polite and in all my trips there I have not met anyone who made me feel uncomfortable (with the exception of the immigration officials, and the security police).

Coming from South Africa, I found it strange to see people walking around with wards of money. I was at Nandos to buy lunch, and this person comes in and places a a plastic bag with loads of notes. He was actually buying lunch for a couple of people and at the same time getting rid of his old notes. I awondered if people are not scared of being robbed of their cash. It turns out that robbers will find it hard to run away with the money as most of it is worth nothing. The Reserve Bank recently released new bank notes. There is now a 750 000 and a 10 million note.

One day I flew to Bulawayo and took a shuttle from the airport to town and it cost me ZWD 30m. That afternoon on my way back to the airport I took the same shuttle and it cost me ZWD 75m. The reason was that petrol went up during the day so did everything. At the time I was staying at the Crown Plaza and breakfast cost me ZWD 27m. Three weeks later in the same hotel breakfast cost me ZWD 85m.

In late February I visited the country for a week long citizen journalism workshop. Our equipment and workshop material, which was sent in advance by DHL, was delayed by the customs officials. The equipment was not released until the following week after the workshop. Most people were not shocked this was happening as they said it was a norm with customs especially for things that relate to media.

I often find these trips very educational and sometimes weired. Everybody in Zim is conscious of the currency changes and is keeping up. They also know more about exchange rates than most South Africans. There is a huge interest in foreign currency everywhere you go. People buy a rand for more than what its worth because they can get more out of a rand than what they would get for its equivalent in Zim dollars.

In my last trip to Harare some colleagues and friends asked me to bring anything from stalk sweets, coffee creamers to washing powder. Most shops have empty shelves. Those with stock run out fast and there are always long ques and of cause sometimes the prices change while you are standing in the que.

You have to be there to understand it.