Zimbabwe has now turned to the US dollar & the Rand, this has helped to stabilise the money situation & goods are now appearing in the shops.

BUT

There are no small notes available or coins!

so if you want to buy an item at $5 & only have a $50 then you either give a good tip!
Or
Buy 10 of the item!
Or
Take a Biro & an egg & a bar of soap & a condom & a box of matches as change!

I know some are using the situation to make a better profit but Friends in Zimbabwe tell me it is now the way to make up a bulk purchase then barter with someone who has made a bulk purchase of a different item!
I was told of a bulk buy of 0ne ton of flour, which was traded with a buyer of cooking oil & traded with a buyer of beef & so on.

So if travelling to Zim take plenty of one dollar & five dollar bills with you!

Welcome back Kipper! Do you know anything about petrol supply in Zim? Is it also reliable again or still difficult to get?

Thank you Kipper for the update.

when we visited ZIM in late 2008 it was almost the same. not that they did have change. we just didn't want any money back and therefore were carrying loads of small bills for tips, purchases and just to spread it.

Tobi, fuel is now good, we had no trouble, last year we could find no fuel in Vic Falls & drove to Kasane on an empty tank! This year not a problem there was even a tanker from SA waiting to unload!
The abandoning of the Zim dollar seems to have worked wonders for the availability of goods.

Positive news from Kipper on Zim. Thank you for the update and good for the country and people - finally!

I met a lawyer from Zim some 8 months ago who lives abroad for obvious reasons but visits his family every once in a while. He said the same thing. Funny: nobody earns $ but everyone has them since you need them for payments.