Moving to Zimbabwe from Somalia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Somalia to Zimbabwe — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Somalia to Zimbabwe, and you’d need to navigate life in Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Somalia and Zimbabwe stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SO
20.2
ZW
29.9

Somalia performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SO
$52
ZW
$63
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

SO
0.2
ZW
1.7

Somalia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SO
64.0
ZW
56.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SO
0.0t
ZW
0.8t

Somalia generally does better on environment, though Zimbabwe leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SO
0.7
ZW
1.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SO
24.5%
ZW
46.1%

Somalia generally does better on infrastructure, though Zimbabwe leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SO
19.0%
ZW
8.8%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SO
$1,500
ZW
$3,500

Zimbabwe performs significantly better than Somalia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SO
55.7 yrs
ZW
63.3 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SO
86.5
ZW
28.5

Zimbabwe performs significantly better than Somalia across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Mogadishu Rain: 18.7 in/yr (474 mm)
86° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

Harare Rain: 33.1 in/yr (841 mm)
78° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Mogadishu Harare
Jan–Mar 86°/74°F (30°/24°C) 79°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) 75°/49°F (24°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/73°F (29°/23°C) 76°/48°F (25°/9°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/75°F (30°/24°C) 82°/59°F (28°/15°C)
View all months
Month Mogadishu Harare
Jan 86°/73°F (30.1°/23.0°C) 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C)
Feb 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C)
Mar 87°/76°F (30.7°/24.7°C) 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C)
Apr 90°/78°F (32.0°/25.5°C) 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C)
May 88°/76°F (31.1°/24.7°C) 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C)
Jun 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.6°C) 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C)
Jul 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C) 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C)
Aug 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C) 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C)
Sep 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.2°C) 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C)
Oct 86°/76°F (30.1°/24.2°C) 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C)
Nov 87°/75°F (30.5°/24.1°C) 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C)
Dec 87°/74°F (30.6°/23.5°C) 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C)

Data: Meteorological Services Department Meteorological Services Department

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Somalia and Zimbabwe. To live, work, or study long-term in Zimbabwe, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Zimbabwe's immigration authority.

Somalia passport

Somalia passport holder visiting Zimbabwe

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Somalia passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe passport

Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Somalia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Zimbabwe passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Somalia.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Zimbabwe?

With 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Zimbabwe can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Somalia and Zimbabwe.

Is Zimbabwe safe for expats?

Somalia performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Zimbabwe compared to Somalia?

Somalia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 1.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Zimbabwe, compared to 0.2 in Somalia. Zimbabwe scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Somalia: 27).

What's the weather like in Zimbabwe compared to Somalia?

The average high temperature in Harare is 78°F, compared to 86°F in Mogadishu. Harare receives around 33.1 in of rainfall per year, while Mogadishu gets 18.7 in.

What language do they speak in Zimbabwe?

The official languages in Zimbabwe are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. In Somalia, the official languages are Arabic and Somali.

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At a Glance

SO ZW
Population 12,386,248 15,121,004
Currency Somali Shilling (SOS) Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL)
Languages Arabic, Somali Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +252 +263
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999