Zimbabwe news for the UK-based diaspora

The trade relationship between Britain and Zimbabwe is in an unusual moment. The Department for Business and Trade published its latest UK-Zimbabwe trade factsheet on 14 May, and the numbers tell a structural story: 96% of all goods Zimbabwe sells Britain is beverages and tobacco, the bilateral total is down 7.7% on the year, and services trade is in freefall. On the export side, British cars, medicines and machinery are the lines holding up.

On the airline side, Air Zimbabwe is preparing to resume London flights by June, the first time the route has been served by the national carrier in years. The commercial logic is partly diaspora-driven.

The UK is one of the most established corridors for Zimbabwean remittances by volume. The competitive set is well-defined: Wise for transparent bank-to-bank transfers, WorldRemit and Mukuru for cash collection at OK Zimbabwe, NetOne and EcoCash outlets, Sasai for mobile-to-mobile, and the high-street banks for larger transfers.

The mid-market pound rate against the ZiG is published on our live FX page; each provider's effective rate (after fees and FX margin) is calculated against that midmarket and listed alongside.

Our Moving to Zimbabwe guide covers what we are most often asked about by UK-resident readers: schooling for children educated to the British curriculum, opening domestic and offshore-USD accounts, healthcare and medical aid, and the logistics of shipping or importing a vehicle. The guide is editorial and updated quarterly, and we point out where to corroborate with the embassy and the ZIMRA rules at time of move.