Zimbabwe is a very peaceful country with friendly people who are also quite opinionated. Zimbabweans are communal people who believe in sharing and living collectively, fully embracing the spirit of Unhu/Ubuntu and the concept of “taking a village to raise a child”. Culture globalisation has affected many countries and Zimbabwe has not been spared, however, the people still respect and take pride in their traditions, culture and values. I have met a few people who are new to Zimbabwe, either on short-term travel or long-term and so I thought I would put together a glossary of things that you need to know in order to settle into Zimbabwean society seamlessly. There are many things that will make you stand out as a new person or tourist but being ignorant of the local practices should not be one of those things, take heed…
GREETINGS
Greetings are very common in Zimbabwe. The first rule is to always greet anyone older than you first before they greet you. The friendliest greeting is a firm handshake using your right hand (*notice that I specifically said “right hand” & not left – more on this when we talk about eating sadza). When greeting someone you should make sure to ask about their well-being and their day. In some countries, people can casually kiss each other on the cheeks as a way of greeting one another but in Zimbabwe, people cannot casually kiss each on the cheeks (unless of course if you belong to the apostolic faith church Marange, where men & women kneel & kiss each other on the mouth three times). Ordinarily, black Zimbabweans believe that if people kiss it shows that they share some sexual interests. Hugging is a common way of greeting among friends and family. The formal greeting among business partners is a handshake as it keeps everything professional.
COMMUNICATION STYLE
Zimbabweans are conservative, so always avoid any touching. The level of frankness will depend on your relationship with the person. You cannot criticise or give feedback on any subject to someone you do not know. When a Zimbabwean wants to correct you for anything, they often take an indirect approach and use body signs that will show that they are disagreeing with your behaviour. The best way to communicate is to make sure you always use respectable words, hence no swearing, keep that foul mouth at home. The culture is very formal and you should always mind your humour as some people, particularly the older generation might take it as disrespect. The elders in Zimbabwe do not take sarcasm lightly and it’s often misunderstood in Zimbabwe: it’s not one of our 14 official languages. When talking to people you should also avoid frowning or licking your lips because that’s considered disrespectful – keep that tongue behind your lips please!
PERSONAL SPACE
Personal space is typically respected. Men and women keep their distance because of our culture. If you are not married you cannot stand too close to each other as some people will think you are romantically involved. A boy or man can never enjoy a friendly touch with a married woman as it is socially unacceptable. Touching is only acceptable if it is formal, usually when shaking hands. Any other form of touching is considered disrespectful. People respect each other’s space and you cannot invade any one’s space unless you are friends. The only time personal space is thrown out of the window is when boarding public transport, so prepare for bumper to bumper.
EYE CONTACT
Eye contact in Zimbabwe is viewed differently. Older people believe staring into one’s eyes is a sign of disrespect. They believe as a child when you are speaking to your elders you should not look straight in their eyes and submit yourself, although when chastising you, they demand that you look into their angry faces. Elders automatically believe that you want to challenge them when you look directly in their eyes ordinarily. However, for teenagers, eye contact can be used to show your interest in a boy or a girl. Boys often try to eye the girl they find attractive or the ones they are interested in to send love signals. In Zimbabwe, before maintaining eye contact you should be fully aware of the age of a person that you avoid causing unnecessary discomfort.
GENDER ISSUES
Gender inequality is something that is still an issue in Zimbabwe. It is very difficult to erase how some men view women, despite comprehensive legislation. Men in Zimbabwe can achieve their dreams and go places yet women are still at the same place struggling. Women in Africa are guardians of their home and have the explicit responsibility to take care of the children’s welfare as the primary caregivers. The indigenous culture suppressed women terribly and limited the girl to the kitchen. The gender inequality has denied many women education, employment and access in trade, industry and government. We have a lot of people and organisations fighting for the rights of marginalised women and narrow the gender inequality gap. We now have women accessing all different industries and outdoing themselves. This is something very beautiful and we love to see it. I am confident that in years to come, gender inequality will be history as we have many men and women knowing their worth.
GESTURES
Gestures are also a very common way of communication. People often use their body parts to send different messages to people. Kneeling is a way of showing respect and submission in Zimbabwe. Kneeling is common among women when serving people food especially in rural areas. Clapping is a fundamental part of the culture. Men for example clap with hands straight and women have their hands crossed, palms arched and making a loud sound repeatedly. People clap when expressing gratitude for a certain service, food and gifts. Son in-laws should always clap their hands when they meet their in-laws as a sign of respect.
TABOOS
Zimbabwean culture has banned some practices. Homosexuality is something that is frowned upon in Zimbabwe. People believe that the only people who can engage in sexual activities should be heterosexuals. Several people do not tolerate homosexuality and this has seen many of them being discriminated against in some places. This means that if you are gay you cannot showcase in public as you can be judged. Zimbabwe is one of the countries that has not fully accepted the gay community although advocacy groups do exist. Many other countries have fully accepted the gay community meaning they enjoy their relationship in the streets with peace.
In Zimbabwe, you cannot engage in sexual activities openly in public. It is viewed as public indecency as those activities can only take place in your bedroom – it is common to find people who have never seen their parents kiss or be intimate. In many other countries, lovers can enjoy their love through kissing publicly yet in Zimbabwe it is something people do not do quite as openly. If you are caucasion though, you are mostly exempt from this taboo and can get away with some PDA (public display of affection).
LAW & ORDER
Order is something you will never have to worry about in Zimbabwe. It’s something we as citizens can enjoy freely. Law and order are maintained fully. As a country, we have a few laws that help us stay together peacefully. Public drinking is something that is not allowed in Zimbabwe. You can enjoy your beer in designated areas. It is not illegal to be a commercial sex worker i.e. it’s perfectly legal to sell sex, however, it is illegal to buy sex, so go figure…
DRESS
The dressing is something that is still very controversial in Zimbabwe as we have many views on this subject. Zimbabweans ordinarily believe that your dressing sends different messages out to society. As a conservative society, we have believed for a long time that a person should always cover their body parts, especially women. This belief and rule had many women wearing long dresses and skirts everywhere despite the event or season. The belief also never gave women any room to wear any trousers as they were meant for males. Women were not allowed to wear any revealing clothes such as crop tops and short skirts as they believed these clothes send sexual signals to men.
All the beliefs never affected males in any ways shockingly as men can wear anything they want, except earrings, which remain frowned upon. As we all live in a dynamic world and styles change, we now have several people keeping up with new international trends and dressing modernly. These people still face some criticism in the streets as some people label and call them names. The best way is to make sure you are very confident when you choose to wear your summer clothes. The most important rule in Zimbabwe is to make sure you dress appropriately for each event to avoid any criticism.
TITLES
Titles are on the things the Zimbabwean culture has maintained over the years. People take titles very seriously and you cannot address an older person by their first name unless they give express permission. The acceptable business titles are Mr, Miss and Mrs, Dr or Prof. In the indigenous parts of Zimbabwe, the titles used are “mother of & father of” e.g. Mai Kim, meaning the mother of Kim. At home, men are fully respected and take the title of the father of the house and they are consulted before every action.
GIFT GIVING
Gift giving is a gesture received as kindness and it is a very common way of showing love, gratitude and appreciation. Zimbabweans love gifts that they can get angry when someone does not give them a gift after a certain service. When you attend weddings you should make sure you bring a gift for the couple including money/cash. When you also visit a newly born baby you should also make sure you bring a gift as a way of congratulating the family. Gifts are used to thank someone for providing a certain service or to congratulate a person for their success. For example, if you visit a Zimbabwean home they usually pack something for you as you go.
Gift giving is usually one way to show gratitude for a certain service. Sharing is also a big part of Zimbabwean culture. When you are in Zimbabwe you should be prepared to share what you have with those around you. This will help create cordial relationships with people you will be living or working with. Some countries have a culture of individualism while in Zimbabwe it is more communal. In rural areas, people still live collectively and share resources. In urban areas, the spirit of collectivism is slowly dying and we are moving to individualism.
CLASS RULES
Students are very focused in class as they respect and follow instructions from their teachers (schools are pretty much military-style here). It is compulsory to attend every class unless there is a serious problem. The student understands that he or she is under the authority of the teacher or lecturer, which helps maintain order in class. The teacher has disciplinary rights over the students, although corporal punishment has been officially made illegal. The teacher can punish the students when they misbehave. The punishment methods used are only those approved by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. In other countries, students can disrespect the teacher but in Zimbabwe that behaviour will attract punishment.
SOCIALISING
Socialising is something very common among people. It is very common for people to go out for parties and adventures together. Most Zimbabwean parents are very strict and do not allow their kids, especially girls, to go out in the evening for parties. This is because parents believe their girls can be taken advantage of & get pregnant. Unfortunately, several people believe that women or girls cannot attend parties or drink beer. Some people believe that a woman who drinks is ill-mannered and cannot be respected. These beliefs have deprived women of going out and enjoying a beer freely. Luckily, foreigners are exempt from these unwritten rules and taboos.
The indigenous culture believes that a well-raised girl cannot go out with men and drink beer. As of late, the culture has been changing and we can now see women attending social events and taking the lead. The youths have been taking part in many social events and showcasing talents as many parents are adjusting to the new way of doing things. There are so many events hosted meaning it’s never a boring day.
SMOKING AND DRINKING
Public drinking and smoking are not allowed by law. Smoking indoors is not allowed, especially at work and inside hotel rooms. You should avoid drinking publicly, especially at work. Being in possession of and smoking weed/marijuana is illegal. Parties are usually held during the weekend starting from Friday. Sunday is a resting day therefore a few social events are held on Sunday.
RELIGION
Zimbabwe is a Christian country, although the majority of people continue to believe and practice the traditional customs that were there pre-colonisation. This means that the majority of the people believe in God. In some countries, people believe in all sorts of things and can freely believe in anything and criticise other beliefs. In Zimbabwe, you should always make sure you mind your words and respect the religions. You can privately believe in anything you want but always make sure you do not criticise the local beliefs. We have many Christian churches and also Muslims churches available. You can always find one that suits you if you are interested in going to church.
TIME AND TRANSPORT
A normal Zimbabwean day usually starts at 8 am and ends at 4 pm. This will also depend on where you work as well. Public transport is the cheapest form of transport but possibly also the worst way to get around. Public transport used includes buses and commuter omnibuses (Kombi). Taxis are quite expensive meaning fewer people use them, however, we have several Uber-equivalences in Vaya and Hwindi. If you do not like crowded places, using a taxi or Vaya is always the best option.
It is very easy to settle and fit in well in Zimbabwe. The most important thing is to make sure you are well ‘mannered’ and make sure you greet your elders and treat them well to avoid any trouble and spoil your adventures. Zimbabweans are conservatives, meaning you should make sure you are properly dressed for the different occasions so that you avoid feeling uncomfortable. If you also want to fit in well in the Zimbabwean culture never use foul language as this is unacceptable in any case. When you are in Zimbabwe you should also learn to keep your hands to yourself and avoid sending wrong signals or messages. Observing a few of these do’s and don’t will go a long way to helping you settle in quickly and having a time of your life in our country.
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