Zimbabwe

Is Zimbabwe safe to visit?

For a trip to Victoria Falls, Hwange or Mana Pools, usually yes. Tourists are rarely targets of serious crime in the safari areas, and the US rates the country Level 2, "exercise increased caution". The risks sit elsewhere: some of the deadliest roads in Africa by WHO's estimate, mugging in city centres after dark, hospitals that are short of drugs, and an economy where cash is scarce. Visitors also need to stay well clear of politics. We score Zimbabwe 51, below Zambia across the river and above Tanzania.

Politics and the risk for critics

In July 2026 President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed a constitutional amendment that extends presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years and has parliament, not voters, choose the president. It postpones the next presidential election to 2030; the old two-term limit would have ended his rule in 2028. The Senate passed it 75 to 4.

Human Rights Watch documented attacks and arbitrary arrests of civil society groups, opposition parties, student leaders and activists who opposed it, and said police and unidentified armed men threatened and beat people. The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary already lists "official harassment" as a reason for caution, and says foreigners, journalists and charities can face heightened scrutiny.

For a visitor the rules are concrete. Insulting the president is a crime. Photographing government buildings, police, soldiers or protests is illegal, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says the police enforce this strictly. Any interview or filming can count as journalism, which needs accreditation. Do not wear camouflage clothing, and pull off the road when the presidential motorcade passes; security forces have assaulted drivers who stopped too late. Zimbabwe rose 10 places to 90th on the 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary, so this is repression of critics, not open conflict.

Crime in Harare and Bulawayo

UNODC recorded 6.8 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2022, a mid-range rate that has crept up from 4.9 in 2018. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls crime moderate. Mugging, pickpocketing and bag-snatching are common in city centres, especially after dark, where street lighting is poor. People who look as if they carry cash are targeted, so be careful leaving banks and ATMs.

Smash-and-grab robberies from cars happen at intersections on the road to Harare airport, on Borrowdale Road and Churchill Road in Harare, and on the Masvingo to Beitbridge road towards South Africa. Keep doors locked, windows closed and bags out of sight, and never leave a car unguarded in town.

The roads

WHO estimatedWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 41.2 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2019, one of the highest rates we score and well above Botswana's 26.4. Official counts are lower: the Transport Minister told parliament in September 2025 that nearly 2,000 people die on the roads each year, blaming reckless driving, speeding and inexperienced public transport drivers.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists deep potholes, broken traffic lights during power cuts, lorries and cyclists without lights, stray livestock and pedestrians. Combis, the minibus taxis, are often overcrowded, uninsured and recklessly driven, and night buses have had serious crashes. Fuel can run short, so top up whenever you can. If you crash far from a city, help may be slow, because ambulances are unreliable.

Malaria, cholera and hospitals

CDC recommends malaria tablets for all of Zimbabwe, including Victoria Falls and the Zambezi valley. It also reports cholera in Manicaland and the Midlands, with recent cases in Mashonaland Central and East; drink bottled or treated water.

Care is the bigger problem. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says hospitals are short of drugs and trained staff, and private clinics often demand large cash payments before admitting even emergency cases, insurance or not. Carry insurance with medical evacuation cover to South Africa, and enough US dollars to get through the door.

Money, power and practical problems

Zimbabwe uses US dollars alongside the ZiG, introduced in April 2024. Physical dollars are scarce, foreign cards often fail at cash machines, and change is rarely given. Bring small, clean US notes. Power blackouts are frequent and long, and parts of the country ration water. Mobile networks are unreliable.

How to stay safe in Zimbabwe

• Do not discuss politics in public or online, and do not photograph officials or protests.
• Take hotel taxis at night in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.
• Avoid driving outside towns after dark and keep car doors locked.
• Take malaria tablets and drink treated water.
• Carry small US notes, a copy of your passport and your visa.
• Call 112 in an emergency.

How we scored it

Road safety (26) is the weakest factor by far, based on WHO's 41.2 per 100,000. Health (42) reflects malaria, cholera and a strained hospital system, and petty crime (52) the street and vehicle crime in cities. Conflict (62) is held down by the treatment of critics rather than violence against visitors. Natural hazards (70) is the strongest factor.