Sign up with GoogleHi all,
I've just returned from a three week holiday in Zimbabwe, and would like to share some thoughts with you on the state of the country.
I was based just outside Bulawayo, but travelled to Victoria Falls, which is incredibly impressive. From there I went to Hwange game reserve which boasts a fantastic collection of wildlife and birdlife. Wildlife included elephants, kudu, impala, crocodiles, hippos, while the birdlife was also exceptionally impressive (my girlfriend gave me a crash course on birdwatching while I was there). Lastly, I went hiking in the Chimanimani mountains, which where absolutely stunning. There is nothing like sleeping in a cave and swimming naked in a river completely away from all civilisation. A warning though, if you are not used to Zim's climate you may struggle (as I did) on the steeper slopes. During one hike I must have sweated at least 5 litres in a couple of hours. Ok, enough about me, here is what I can tell you about Zimbabwe.
The Economy
As you are all well aware, the economic situation in Zim is diabolical. Inflation remains at over 1000% despite the recent revaluation of the Z$ (where 1 new $ = 1000 old $).
The official exchange rate is $35 to R1. The black market rate is around Z$300 to R1 (or was on the 18th Dec when I exchanged).
Here are some of the prices of goods:
1 Litre of petrol =Z$5 000 (R16)
Cheapest Softdrink (500ml) Z$1 500 (R5)
Dumpie Castle Z$ 700 (R2.30) (Yes, it is that cheap, and Sorghum beer is cheaper)
Bread rolls = Z$180 (60c ea)
Meat = Around Z$ 12 000 per kilo depending (R40)
Potatoes = Around Z$ 800 per sack (R2.60) (Not sure of this)
Imported items are much more expensive eg. SA Shampoo around Z$ 10 000 (R33)
Now let me give you an idea of salaries:
The official minimum wage is Z$5 000, enough to buy you 1 litre of petrol
An approximate wage for basic domestics might be Z$ 25 000, enough to buy one beer per day.
A state teacher earns around Z$60 000, enough to buy 12 litres of petrol.
A fairly well paid teacher at a private school around Z$240 000
A slight calculation will tell you that most people cannot afford to live. How people survive is beyond me! The lowest paid people might just be able to afford staple foods, but no more than that.
While I have included the price of fuel, one must remember that fuel is largely unavailable. Most petrol stations I encountered where empty, and the ones that had fuel had long, long queues behind them (waits of up to 24 hours). In point of fact, the road were almost devoid of cars. Other commodities that were largely unavailable were meat (I really struggled to find any) and Coke (I saw one shop with stock).
Perhaps this anecdote will illustrate the situation. On our way up, our host called us and asked us if it was too late to buy her goods. Since we didn't have time to get to a supermarket we asked her to keep it simple. This is what she asked for:
* Flour
* Sugar
* Cooking oil (sunflower)
* Condensed milk
While cooking oil was available, she said it was just too expensive to buy (and she is relatively well paid).
Farming
Zimbabwe was once referred to as the grain basket of Africa. The rich, fertile soil ensures that crops grow prolifically. Zimbabwe is capable of producing vast quantities of maize, tobacco and sugar among other things. However, this is not the case at the moment. The area where I was based used to have many productive farms, not one remained. During my whole time there, I saw one working tractor (which surprised me!).
I was fortunate enough to chat to a dispossessed farmer, who had been based in Mashonaland (North Zimbabwe). His was a tobacco farm that was worth about US$800 000. His farm was taken from him with no recompensation, and as one can imagine, we was somewhat resentful. However, it was interesting chatting to him about the future of farming. For one thing, one of the problems Zimbabwe faces is the lack of foreign currency. Generally 30% of a farmer's foreign earnings will go straight into buying fertilizers and insecticides. The difficulty will be in raising enough foreign capital to restart intensive farming.
It is interesting to note that before the build up to the 2000 elections, there were 6000 commercial farmers. Now there are fewer than a hundred (probably fewer than 50).
To be continued...
I've just returned from a three week holiday in Zimbabwe, and would like to share some thoughts with you on the state of the country.
I was based just outside Bulawayo, but travelled to Victoria Falls, which is incredibly impressive. From there I went to Hwange game reserve which boasts a fantastic collection of wildlife and birdlife. Wildlife included elephants, kudu, impala, crocodiles, hippos, while the birdlife was also exceptionally impressive (my girlfriend gave me a crash course on birdwatching while I was there). Lastly, I went hiking in the Chimanimani mountains, which where absolutely stunning. There is nothing like sleeping in a cave and swimming naked in a river completely away from all civilisation. A warning though, if you are not used to Zim's climate you may struggle (as I did) on the steeper slopes. During one hike I must have sweated at least 5 litres in a couple of hours. Ok, enough about me, here is what I can tell you about Zimbabwe.
The Economy
As you are all well aware, the economic situation in Zim is diabolical. Inflation remains at over 1000% despite the recent revaluation of the Z$ (where 1 new $ = 1000 old $).
The official exchange rate is $35 to R1. The black market rate is around Z$300 to R1 (or was on the 18th Dec when I exchanged).
Here are some of the prices of goods:
1 Litre of petrol =Z$5 000 (R16)
Cheapest Softdrink (500ml) Z$1 500 (R5)
Dumpie Castle Z$ 700 (R2.30) (Yes, it is that cheap, and Sorghum beer is cheaper)
Bread rolls = Z$180 (60c ea)
Meat = Around Z$ 12 000 per kilo depending (R40)
Potatoes = Around Z$ 800 per sack (R2.60) (Not sure of this)
Imported items are much more expensive eg. SA Shampoo around Z$ 10 000 (R33)
Now let me give you an idea of salaries:
The official minimum wage is Z$5 000, enough to buy you 1 litre of petrol
An approximate wage for basic domestics might be Z$ 25 000, enough to buy one beer per day.
A state teacher earns around Z$60 000, enough to buy 12 litres of petrol.
A fairly well paid teacher at a private school around Z$240 000
A slight calculation will tell you that most people cannot afford to live. How people survive is beyond me! The lowest paid people might just be able to afford staple foods, but no more than that.
While I have included the price of fuel, one must remember that fuel is largely unavailable. Most petrol stations I encountered where empty, and the ones that had fuel had long, long queues behind them (waits of up to 24 hours). In point of fact, the road were almost devoid of cars. Other commodities that were largely unavailable were meat (I really struggled to find any) and Coke (I saw one shop with stock).
Perhaps this anecdote will illustrate the situation. On our way up, our host called us and asked us if it was too late to buy her goods. Since we didn't have time to get to a supermarket we asked her to keep it simple. This is what she asked for:
* Flour
* Sugar
* Cooking oil (sunflower)
* Condensed milk
While cooking oil was available, she said it was just too expensive to buy (and she is relatively well paid).
Farming
Zimbabwe was once referred to as the grain basket of Africa. The rich, fertile soil ensures that crops grow prolifically. Zimbabwe is capable of producing vast quantities of maize, tobacco and sugar among other things. However, this is not the case at the moment. The area where I was based used to have many productive farms, not one remained. During my whole time there, I saw one working tractor (which surprised me!).
I was fortunate enough to chat to a dispossessed farmer, who had been based in Mashonaland (North Zimbabwe). His was a tobacco farm that was worth about US$800 000. His farm was taken from him with no recompensation, and as one can imagine, we was somewhat resentful. However, it was interesting chatting to him about the future of farming. For one thing, one of the problems Zimbabwe faces is the lack of foreign currency. Generally 30% of a farmer's foreign earnings will go straight into buying fertilizers and insecticides. The difficulty will be in raising enough foreign capital to restart intensive farming.
It is interesting to note that before the build up to the 2000 elections, there were 6000 commercial farmers. Now there are fewer than a hundred (probably fewer than 50).
To be continued...
