Moving to Zimbabwe from Zambia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Zambia to Zimbabwe — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Zambia to Zimbabwe.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Zambia to Zimbabwe, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Zimbabwe?
Top countries of origin for Zimbabwe's foreign-born residents.
- 122,923
- 108,491
-
3.31,692
Zambia
- 19,731
- 12,705
- 3,865
Key Indicator Comparison
How Zambia and Zimbabwe stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Zambia performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Zambia performs better than Zimbabwe across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Zambia generally does better on infrastructure, though Zimbabwe leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Zambia generally does better on employment & economy, though Zimbabwe leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Zambia generally does better on family life, though Zimbabwe leads in infant mortality.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank, Zambia Revenue Authority
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lusaka | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lusaka | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) |
| Feb | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) |
| Apr | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) |
| Jun | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) |
| Jul | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) |
| Sep | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) |
| Nov | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) |
| Dec | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) |
Data:
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD),
Meteorological Services Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zambia 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.
Zambia passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
Visa Free
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa FreeData: 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 Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Is Zimbabwe safe for expats?
Zambia performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zimbabwe is 6.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 5.2 in Zambia.
How is healthcare in Zimbabwe compared to Zambia?
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Zimbabwe, compared to 2.6 in Zambia. Zimbabwe scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zambia: 56).
What's the weather like in Zimbabwe compared to Zambia?
The average high temperature in Harare is 78°F, compared to 80°F in Lusaka. Harare receives around 33.1 in of rainfall per year, while Lusaka gets 31.4 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 Zambia, the official language is English.
Compare further: Zambia vs. Zimbabwe
More relocation comparisons
At a Glance
ZM
|
ZW
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,642,123 | 15,121,004 |
| Currency | Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) |
| Languages | English | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +260 | +263 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | — | 999 |