Zimbabwe Travel Advice & Information

Time Difference

Zimbabwe is one hour ahead of GMT and observes Central African Time (CAT) all year, so the clocks do not change seasonally.

Money

Whilst the primary legal tender in Zimbabwe is the Zimbabwe dollar (ZWL), it is currently possible for tourists to transact using the US Dollar at the official exchange rate. Prices and transactions will be in Zimbabwean dollars, but US dollars are widely accepted. You should check before making a transaction whether the price quoted is in Zimbabwean or US dollars as the symbol for both is $. You should check in advance what payment methods a restaurant, hotel or tour operator will accept. Some businesses, including some medical providers, may not accept payment by credit or debit card. It is illegal to leave Zimbabwe with more than USD $2,000 (or equivalent) in cash unless it is left over from funds which you have brought in yourself and declared on arrival. There are plenty of ATMs in Zimbabwe, but most charge US $2 USD per transaction. As a rule, banks are open from Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 2pm (12pm on Wednesdays). Some banks open on Saturdays, from 8:30am to 11am.

Electricity

The standard voltage is 240 volts. Plug types D and G are used. We advise you to bring an adapter for all your electrical appliances. In the lodges, electricity is sometimes provided by a generator which only works at certain times of the day. Power cuts are frequent. If you need to recharge the batteries of your electronic devices (phone, laptop, digital camera etc), this is possible in some lodges and/or hotels (at the discretion of the managers).

Shops and Amenities

Generally, stores are open from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday (some close on Saturday at 12pm).

Media

The two biggest newspapers are The Herald in Harare and The Chronicle in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe also has four radio stations and a single television channel.

Phone

To call Zimbabwe from United Kingdom, dial: 00 - 263 - area code and a landline number, or 00 - 263 and a mobile number. To call United Kingdom from Zimbabwe, dial: 00 - 44 - area code and a landline number, or 00 - 44 – and a mobile number.