Moving to Benin from Zimbabwe
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Zimbabwe to Benin — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Zimbabwe to Benin, and you’d need to navigate life in French. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Zimbabwe and Benin stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Benin performs significantly 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
Benin 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
Zimbabwe generally does better on environment, though Benin leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Zimbabwe generally does better on infrastructure, though Benin leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Benin generally does better on employment & economy, though Zimbabwe leads in gdp per capita.
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
Zimbabwe generally does better on family life, though Benin leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Harare | Porto-novo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | — |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) | — |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | — |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) | — |
View all months
| Month | Harare | Porto-novo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) | — |
| Feb | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) | — |
| Mar | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) | — |
| Apr | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) | — |
| May | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) | — |
| Jun | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) | — |
| Jul | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) | — |
| Aug | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) | — |
| Sep | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) | — |
| Oct | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) | — |
| Nov | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) | — |
| Dec | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) | — |
Data:
Meteorological Services Department,
Agence Nationale de la Meteorologie (METEO BENIN)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe and Benin. To live, work, or study long-term in Benin, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Benin's immigration authority.
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Benin
Visa Free
Benin passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Benin?
With 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Benin can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Zimbabwe and Benin.
Is Benin safe for expats?
Benin performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Benin is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Zimbabwe.
How is healthcare in Benin compared to Zimbabwe?
Benin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 2.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Benin, compared to 1.4 in Zimbabwe. Benin scores 38 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).
What's the weather like in Benin compared to Zimbabwe?
The average high temperature in Porto-novo is None°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Porto-novo receives around 47.0 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 in.
What language do they speak in Benin?
The official language in Benin is French. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.
Compare further: Zimbabwe vs. Benin
At a Glance
ZW
|
BJ
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,950,795 | 14,814,460 |
| Currency | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) | CFA Franc BCEAO (F CFA) |
| Languages | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language | French |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +263 | +229 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 999 | — |