Your Guide to Zimbabwe Culture – Life and Customs

Zimbabwe Culture is very much adopted from the west. However evidence of some local culture still exist – like superstitions and rituals and the fear of the unknown including giving tides to the dead. Many of these beliefs have since eroded because extended family ties have been slackening over the years as people become more concerned with their immediate families, with some even failing to adequately feed and clothe their spouses and children .Today’s culture encourages a more nuclear family perspective!

Zimbabwean culture is known for its encouragement for individuals to keep quiet and not speak much, giving those in authority the benefit of doubt! Elders are treated with respect while children are expected to do as told. Men are somewhat valued before women.
Verbal greetings usually accompany handshakes while sometimes regular shakes are offered during conversations. Nudity has no place in Zimbabwe’s modern culture. Women are expected to be modest. Some areas in Zimbabwe still compel visitors to require permission from spirits and chiefs before visiting.

Urbanisation forces people to adopt different cultures, some of which emphasize on individualism resulting in the erosion of values such as sharing and consultation among relatives but local culture specially in rural areas still exist.

Some other traditions being practiced include “kurova guva” which is honoring the spirit of the dead. In some rural areas just before the rainy season the also have functions giving honour to the dead and asking them to bring the rains.In all fairness, Zimbabwe is just a modern society just going through an economic turmoil and as ever Zimbabweans are very nice people.