I read today that the Zim dollar slipped to 6000 to one U.S.! Boy oh boy, Robert Mugabe has done his country true justice! Time to go shopping in Zim!!!!!!!!

Kudu.....I'd go to Zim in a heartbeat.......but I remember that long long long long long long long plane ride way to well yet.

Leaving next Sunday for Omay, Zimbabwe on a croc hunt.... Can't wait to go shopping after!

Kathi

The 1st time I went to Zim 5 years ago the rate was about $1 US to about 35 Zim...2 years later is was about $1 US to 50 Zim and there was already a marked difference in prices depending on if you used your credit card or American dollars as opposed to Zim dollars. You even got dirty looks tipping with Zim dollars are restaurants.

Wow, that makes a pair of Courtney boots at R. Giga and Son $20 US, I Paid $65, three weeks ago.
Doug

I already made a deposit of $18,000,000 for my Zim summer hunt of 04 for DG..

Mike
Boy did my money grow

I was there in Sept. of 2001, I got 250 to one on the street corner. My boots were only $40 and all the soap stone and baskets I could pack home cost me $50. A 2foot tall iron wood carving of the big 5 for $30. I chucked my clothes and put the goodies in the suit case. I had as much fun shopping as hunting. I can't imagine 6000 to 1

Kudu, Makes one smile when one thinks about the money..I just hope it will be safe...politically..

Mike

Even during the war they didn't screw with the hunters much. For some reason they leave us alone.

I just got back from a hunt in Zim in late May. I got 1,500 to 1 in Bulawayo and thought that was good. I wish I would have gotten a pair of Courtney boots while I was there. I did buy some nice gifts that where a great deal even at 1,500 to 1.

Hi,
I was always under the impression that such changes in currency value were followed by a rapid change in prices to fit the exchange??? By the way, the curios are also very cheap in South Africa....as long as you don't buy them on the steps of your hotel in Joburg, but further along on the roads leaving the city...
BTW Too bad that trophy fees don't match the domestic currency more closely eh?? Who's up for a fifty buck kudu (better make that kuduS).

When i went in Sept. 2000 I took some cash and went to the store. I bought some great Zim wine for .50 US a bottle! Man I wish I could have brought more home. A six pack of Zambezi was only .75 US. I am a cheap drunk but Zambezi and Castle is good stuff!

its 5300 as of nov 1 2003 and seems to be holding for now.

Live mid-market rates as of 2003.11.05
19:11:49 GMT.

Zimbabwe Dollars
1.00 ZWD = 0.00125000 USD

United States Dollars
1 ZWD = 0.00125000 USD 1 USD = 800.000 ZWD

HOT OFF THE PRESS

In July I had 13 friends with me in Victoria Falls. We went to dinner at The Boma. The following picture is what we used to pay our bill. It took the restaurant over 30 minutes to count our money, and that was using an electronic bill counter.



Regards,
John Barth
www.ausafaris.com
Adventure Unlimited, Inc.

The latest scam in Zimbabwe is powerful people buying Zim dollars by the millions, stripping the silver thread out of them and selling that thread in RSA for much more than the Zim dollar is worth and they are making a bloody killing!!!

Its a platinum strip.

When I left zim last week the offical rate was $800 zim to $1 USD. Because of the lack of US dollars and the fact that no one outside of Zimbabwe will accept Zim$ the black market rate has soared to 6,000zim to one US dollar.

I know of one person who offered to purchase "all the USD you are willing to sell" at 6,000 to one.

I tried to purchase a six pack of beer and a couple of sodas in Kiriba and the total was 37,500zim. I was hurried as I counted out 75 five hundred dollar bills. I asked the learner PH who was with me how they deal with this on a day to day basis. He just laughed and said I should try purchasing a car with cash.

Their largest bill is 20,000Zim which is about $3.30USD.

Mickey1:
The proverbial saying: " A picture is worth 1000 words"
know what you mean....

Sad to see zimbabwe in this sitiuation. I think all would be travellers should be advised that as far as I know the exchange rate we are talking about is called the "parallel rate" or the black market rate and as per my information is illegal.
I can only imagine that the so called law in zimbabwe would love to apprehend "foreign criminals"
Trust me when I say the last thing you would want at the end of a hunting trip, is to deal with African law enforcement officers.
Also I dont think most of the AR members are familiar with with a way of life in Africa
This way of life is called bribes in the real world. Unfortunately that is the only solution.

Actually, you can get from almost anyone between Z4,000 and 6,000 in cash, but cash is so short that there is a 25% + premium on that particular commodity. I just returned from lake Kariba and vic falls and its a very sad situation. On the way from harare we actually saw women picking up grains off the sides of the road from the UN trucks that pass and grains blow off....

We paid the gillies on the boats a relative tip of about a loaf of brad a day. very sad.