What to do in Zimbabwe the week of October 23 and October 31, 2023

The newsletter is late this week due to local network outages in St. Alberts, in Centenary.  Something happened with the local electrical grid, since the hospital has solar power backup, there is no rush to fix it. Unfortunately, I only have one company sim card, which doesn’t use a backup generator for their local booster. I’ve been told in the past to get service from both national companies, but have been lazy to, until today.

It reminds me of the outage in Canada for one national network. The end result was a new federal policy that the major network operators and companies,  must have backup network capabilities from their competition. I wish telecommunications in Zimbabwe and Canada were not subject to these monopolistic   companies and that providing,  efficient and affordable services wasn’t a luxury they could avoid.

Travel tip: Appointment setting

I’ve often passed places and have seen people sitting and wondering what they are waiting for. Until, the day I was waiting two hours for someone to arrive. I always travel with a Zambia (colorful cloth to wrap around your waist.  Zambians call them chitenge. Zimbabweans call them Zambias because that’s where they used to buy the fabric from).

It was of no fault of their own that traffic backlogs slowed them down from arriving. Many roads in Zimbabwe are single lane, including intercity roads. One small accident,  toll gate traffic jam or police roadblock can easily set you back an hour.

I don’t recommend setting more than two appointments a day. It’s best to set one in the morning and one early afternoon.  Any evening appointments should be set for after 6:30pm in order to avoid rush hour traffic. Worse still, don’t be surprised if the person you are meeting can’t be reached. Especially during the rainy season, localized power outages are common.

Running through town to make an appointment isn’t very common. Be careful to get stopped by people suspecting you are a thief running from trouble. You’ll get there, when you get there. Send a text, whatsapp message or call to explain your new eta.

Pack a book, grab a Zambia or find a cute coffee shop with wifi and wait for them to arrive. Let them know you are at the meeting point.  Remember, there is no rush in Africa, if you space out your appointments.

Events and Activities the week of October 23 and 31, 2023

October 27-29 SS Fabrik comes to Alliance Francaise in Harare, with a fashion show, art show,  live music and skateboarding. For more information go to their Facebook page.

October 29 Dock and Slay is on in Bulawayo

at the Queens Sports club. Starting at 11am til late. A fun event for ladies only, featuring live music featuring Trevor Dongo and the traveller’s band.  Dress code in effect. For more details whatsapp  +263777998819

November 3 The Bindura Arts festival hosts Jah Prayzah, Holy Ten and more at the Bindura Sports Club.

November 3 The Zimbabwe Academy of music features a night of song with Christine Nyoni at the Academy of Music in Harare. For more information see their Facebook page.

November 4 Proweb hosts a ladies high tea with Hon. Monica Mutsvangwa in Mt. Hampden. Featuring networking opportunities, business showcases and more. For more information contact Catherine at +263712431175 for more information.

November 5 The Harare version of Dock and Slay is on at First Capital Sports Club in Harare. Featuring Baba Harare and more.

November 25 The Zimbabwe Christian Golf Association hosts their monthly golf meetup at Wingate golf course in Pomona. For more information and to register contact Mr.Shambare at +263 77 297 0260

Advertising opportunities

To advertise your transportation, accommodation or other diaspora and or travel related business, contact us at grace@deservegrace.com or on whatsapp at +263783434566

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