About Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in South-Eastern Africa, bordered by Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. The lay of the land is a mix of plateaux, bushveld dotted with rocky outcrops, and lowland savanna.

Two mighty rivers wind across this country that have been immortalised in literature and verse for decades: The Zambezi and the Limpopo. It was from the Zimbabwe side that Livingstone first approached Victoria Falls in a dugout canoe in 1855 and proclaimed the sight to be “the most wonderful I had witnessed in Africa”.

Zimbabwe has a very rich cultural heritage. Artists are highly esteemed in society, and the traditional arts like pottery, basketry, textiles, jewellery and carvings rank among the best in the world. Music is also an integral part of life in Zimbabwe.

This country is home to the largest ancient structure in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, which was a religious and secular capital city dating back to the 13th Century. Some buildings within this site are still the topic of much speculation.

English is the official language of Zimbabwe, but only about 2% of the population have English as their mother tongue. The rest of the people are native speakers of Bantu languages, most prominently Shona and Sindebele. Mining and agriculture account for most of the country’s export earnings. Tourism continues to be important, with Victoria Falls and several National Parks drawing in visitors from all over the world.

Zimbabwe Coffee

Type of coffee: Arabica
Volume (2014/15 In thousand 60kg bags): 8
Growing areas: Eastern highlands
Marketing system: Direct sale
Processing: Wet processing
Harvest season: July – October
Port of shipment: Durban, Beira
Export destinations: European countries

Did you know…?

Coffee was introduced to Zimbabwe in 1960. A really good Zimbabwe coffee has moderate acidity, rich flavours, good body and aftertaste.

AFCA Chapter

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