Digging for Gold: Personal Experiences from Zimbabwe

During Zimbabwe’s economic turmoil of the late 2000s, my sister and I navigated a land defined by scarcity and resilience as we experienced the collapse of Zimbabwe’s economy, our community and our family. 

Amidst the bustling chaos of the border crossing from Zimbabwe to South Africa in 2008, a microcosm of Zimbabwe’s internal turmoil unfolded. The air was thick with anticipation, a palpable tension mingling with the exhaust fumes of countless vehicles. As my sister (Samantha)and I navigated the labyrinthine lines of cars and trucks, the landscape mirrored the uncertainty of our nation’s economy—a landscape of worn faces, weary yet resilient, etched with determination to seek a better future. The confines of our car felt suffocating, a stark contrast to the vastness of the horizon ahead, as we left behind the harsh reality of empty grocery store shelves and the scarcity of basic necessities. Our luggage, carefully packed, harboured not trinkets or mementoes, but the lifeblood of survival—formula for my newborn brother, yoghurt, diapers—a symbol of the undeniable need to grow up before our time, commonplace amongst all Zimbabwean youth.

In those tumultuous times, travelling to neighbouring countries like South Africa became a lifeline for many Zimbabweans. Each day brought new challenges as prices fluctuated uncontrollably, rendering retailers unable to keep goods stocked. The grocery stores, once bustling hubs of commerce, now stood as barren wastelands, their shelves stripped bare by the relentless tide of economic turmoil. We became accustomed to the ritual of queuing, a seemingly endless procession of bodies stretching into the distance, each person patiently awaiting their turn to enter the store and procure the meagre rations available...