Zimbabwe trivia: 48 questions and answers

Harare. Harare is the capital and largest city. Bulawayo is the second city, Mutare is the largest city in the east, and Gweru is the capital of the Midlands.

Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG). Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) was introduced in April 2024, backed by gold and foreign reserves. As of September 2026 the US dollar is also legal tender and is used for most payments.

True. True. Zimbabwe drives on the left, like its neighbours South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique.

False. False. Zimbabwe is landlocked. Its nearest sea route is through Mozambique, by road and rail from Mutare to the port of Beira.

Mount Nyangani. Mount Nyangani, 2,592 m, in Nyanga National Park in the Eastern Highlands, is the highest point in Zimbabwe.

Namibia. Namibia comes within about 150 m of Zimbabwe's northwest corner but does not touch it. Zimbabwe's neighbours are Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana.

A stone city built by ancestors of the Shona. Zimbabwe is named after Great Zimbabwe, a stone city built by ancestors of the Shona from the 11th century. The name is usually explained as "houses of stone".

18 April. Zimbabwe became independent on 18 April 1980. 11 November 1965 was the unrecognised declaration by the Rhodesian government, 12 September 1890 the founding of Fort Salisbury and 21 December 1979 the Lancaster House Agreement.

Salisbury. Harare was Salisbury until 1982. Fort Victoria is now Masvingo, Umtali is Mutare and Gwelo is Gweru.

True. True. Livingstone saw the falls in November 1855 and named them after Queen Victoria. The local name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, is still widely used.

Mzilikazi. Mzilikazi, who had broken away from Shaka's Zulu kingdom, settled the Ndebele in what became Matabeleland around 1840. His son Lobengula succeeded him.

The First Chimurenga. The risings of the Ndebele and Shona in 1896 and 1897 are remembered as the First Chimurenga. The Mfecane was the time of wars and migrations in the 1820s and 1830s that brought the Ndebele north, the Great Trek was the Boer migration in South Africa, and the Maji Maji rebellion took place in Tanzania.

False. False. The Kariba Dam stands on the Zambezi, on the border with Zambia. The Limpopo forms the border with South Africa.

Maize meal. Sadza is a stiff porridge of finely ground white maize meal cooked with water. It can also be made from sorghum or millet.

Peanut butter. Dovi is peanut butter, used to make sauces such as muriwo une dovi, greens in peanut butter.

Tiny dried freshwater fish. Tiny dried freshwater fish: kapenta are small sardines from Lake Kariba, sold sun-dried and fried with onion and tomato to eat with sadza.

True. True. Madora, or mopane worms, are caterpillars of the mopane emperor moth, dried and eaten as a snack or in a stew.

False. False. Sadza is eaten with the right hand: roll a small ball, press a hollow into it and scoop up the relish.

A yellow melon. Umxhanxa is made by boiling a yellow melon, called ijodo, and mixing it with boiled sun-dried maize and a little sugar.

True. True. Clapping twice, softly, is a common way to say thank you, for example when someone passes you something. Give and receive things with both hands.

Bulawayo. Bulawayo grew from the royal town of the Ndebele kings and is still the heart of Matabeleland.

Fort. Masvingo means "fort" in Shona. The town grew around a fort of the Pioneer Column and was called Fort Victoria until 1982.

True. True. Umtali became Mutare in 1982, when many colonial place names were changed.

About 1.7 km. About 1.7 km: Victoria Falls is 1,708 m wide and up to 108 m high, one of the largest sheets of falling water on Earth.

The smoke that thunders. Mosi-oa-Tunya means "the smoke that thunders", after the spray and noise of the falls.

True. True. The Zambezi forms the border there, and both Zimbabwe and Zambia have national parks at the falls.

Four. Mana means "four" in Shona, after the four large pools on the Zambezi floodplain.

False. False. The granite walls of Great Zimbabwe were laid without any mortar, and in the Great Enclosure they stand up to 11 m high.

Hwange National Park. Hwange National Park covers about 14,600 km² in the northwest and is famous for its elephants.

Kariba Dam. As of 2026, Zimbabwe's five World Heritage Sites are Great Zimbabwe, Khami, the Matobo Hills, Mana Pools and Victoria Falls. The Kariba Dam is not one of them.

At Great Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Bird comes from soapstone carvings that once stood on walls and pillars at Great Zimbabwe.

True. True. Lake Kariba, shared with Zambia, holds about 180 cubic kilometres of water, more than any other reservoir.

16. 16. The 2013 Constitution lists sixteen official languages, including Shona, Ndebele, English and sign language.

100 trillion dollars. 100 trillion dollars. The central bank issued it in January 2009, and in April 2009 the country stopped printing its own currency.

False. False. The mbira is a "thumb piano" with metal keys on a wooden board, plucked with the thumbs and fingers.

Lion. Shumba means lion. Elephant is nzou, cattle are mombe and chicken is huku.

Water, and also rain. Mvura means water and also rain. Bread is chingwa and stone is ibwe.

True. True. Ibwe means stone, and its plural mabwe appears in dzimba dza mabwe, "houses of stone", the usual explanation of the name Zimbabwe.

mukaka. Mukaka is milk. Mombe means cattle, huku chicken and chingwa bread.

Mhoro. Mhoro is hello to one person in Shona. Ngiyabonga is "thank you" in Ndebele, ndineurombo is "I am sorry" and chinoita marii? is "how much is this?".

Ngiyabonga. Ngiyabonga is thank you in Ndebele. Salibonani is hello, uxolo is excuse me and lisale kuhle is goodbye.

True. True. Maita zvenyu is the polite form of thank you, good for elders and hosts.

Goodbye (stay well). It means goodbye (stay well), said by the person who is leaving to those who stay.

The US dollar. The US dollar. As of September 2026 most prices are in US dollars, alongside Zimbabwe's own currency, the ZiG. Bring small notes, as cash is often short.

999. The government lists 999 for all emergencies, 995 for the police and 993 for the fire brigade. 10111 is the South African police, 000 is Australia's number and 17 is the French police.

False. False. The Zambezi valley, including Kariba and Mana Pools, has a malaria risk all year. Harare and Bulawayo have very little.

True. True. Photographing government offices, airports and military sites without permission is against the law.

April. The flood season runs from February to May with a peak in April. From September to January the flow is low.