Zimbabwe is one of South Africa’s neighboring countries. I grew up literally 120 km from the Beit Bridge border post (near Musina) in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. I’ve never visited the country though.
Here are 20 Interesting facts about Zimbabwe
1. The country’s name was derived from the stone structures of Great Zimbabwe or Dzimbahwe.
2. It’s a landlocked country bordered by South Africa to the South, Botswana to the South West, Mozambique to the East and Zambia to the North and has an estimated population of 17 million people (according to 2025/2026 statistics).
3. It was first known as Southern Rhodesia (the pre 1965 British Colony named after Cecil John Rhodes) and then known as the Republic of Rhodesia (when the colony declared unilateral independence from Britain in 1965).
4. Rhodesia declared unilateral independence from Britain in 1965, but the new state was only recognised by South Africa. Armed conflict between the white minority government and Black nationalist movements began in earnest in 1972 and lasted until 1979, when the Lancaster House peace agreement was signed. Zimbabwe’s independence was finally recognised globally in 1980.
5. Robert Mugabe was the first president of the country. Mugabe was in power between 1980 and 2017. The current president is Emmerson Mnangagwa.
6. Zimbabwe has 16 official languages. IThe official languages of Zimbabwe are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa.
7. The Mugabe government banned many foreign broadcasting stations from the country, including the BBC, CNN, CBC, Sky News, Channel 4, American Broadcasting Company, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Fox News.
8. There were widespread reports of systematic and escalating violations of human rights in Zimbabwe under the Mugabe administration and his party, the ZANU PF.
9. The Zimbabwe dollar was abandoned in April 2009 after it was denominated 3 times and exposed to extreme hyperinflation.
10. In 2008 it was estimated that the country’s annual inflation rate was 516 quintillion per cent (that’s 516 followed by 18 zeros). In 2008 consumer prices on everything from gasoline to glue were doubling on average every 1.3 days.
11. Zimbabwe has five UNESCO World heritage sites. There are three cultural sites: the Khami Ruins, Great Zimbabwe National Monument, and Matobo Hills and two natural sites: Victoria Falls and Mana Pools. The Khami Ruins is an extensive complex of stonewalled sites and once was the capital of the Butua State.
12. Khami was developed between 1450 and 1650 AD.
13. The Great Zimbabwe National Monument was, according to legend, the capital of the Queen of Sheba. The ancestral Shona people built the site between 1100 and 1450 AD.
14. The Matobo Hills have one of the highest concentrations of rock art in Southern Africa. These date back at least 13,000 years.
15. The Mana Pools are home to a wide variety of wild animals, for instance, elephants, buffalo, leopards, cheetahs and Nile crocodiles.
16. Lake Kariba is one of the largest man-made lakes and reservoirs in the world by volume. You’ll find it some 1,300 km upstream from the Indian Ocean, along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is 226km (140 miles) long and up to 40 km (24 miles) wide in some places. It provides electricity to both Zambia and Zimbabwe. There’s also a thriving commercial fishing industry on Lake Kariba. Apart from fish, Nile crocodiles and hippopotami also live in the lake.
17. The country’s flag is full of symbolism. For instance, the green stripe represents vegetation and agriculture. The gold colour represents the country’s mineral wealth. The red stripe represents the blood that was shed during the war of liberation. Black represents the black majority. The white triangle represents peace. The red star represents the nation’s aspirations and the golden bird is the “Great Zimbabwe Bird” which is the national symbol of Zimbabwe.
18. Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Known locally as “Mosi-oa-Tunya” (meaning “The Smoke That Thunders”), it forms part of the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and is the world’s largest waterfall by combined width and height.
19. Zimbabwe has the second highest literacy rate in Africa, sitting at around 90%, largely due to the strong emphasis placed on education after independence in 1980.
20. The Zimbabwe Bird on the flag and coat of arms is based on a real soapstone sculpture found at the Great Zimbabwe ruins. Several of these carved birds were discovered at the site, and they are thought to be around 500-800 years old. Most of them were looted by Cecil John Rhodes and some are still held outside the country.
Well, there you have it, 20 interesting facts you might not have known about Zimbabwe. If I left anything out, feel free to leave a comment below.
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