[I’m feeling quite naughty. I’ve been joking about the ridiculous state of Zimbabwe’s currency, which is reaching unbelievable levels.

A Portuguese man was telling me that when Brazil’s currency collapsed, the Brazilians phased out their currency and replaced it with a new one when the exchange rate with the US Dollar was 1:20,000. Well, the joke is that currently, on the “black market” (i.e. free market), in Zimbabwe, the exchange rate is: 1:200,000 – i.e. US$1 buys you Z$200,000. Even the official exchange rate is 1:100,000. So whichever way you look at it, Zimbabwe’s currency has gone to hell in a handbasket in a way that even Brazil’s never came close to!!

So I have been joking about a currency for the Zimbabweans, and I think I’ve found it.

In S.Africa, in the northern Cape is a small colony of Afrikaners who are trying to create their own country. They own a small town called Orania. They have their own radio station, they hold their own elections and guess what… they even created their own currency!!

There are only 700 Afrikaners in this small town. They farm and do all their own work without any black labour whatsoever.

Apparently, their “central bank” contains, R240,000 (US$40,000). This works out as being the equivalent of Z$8 billion! Now, given a year or two more, with 1800%(43)+ inflation… I reckon that Orania will have a more stable currency and probably have as much money in their central bank as Robert Mugabe has in his!

So I would like to suggest that maybe the Orania currency should be adopted by Zimbabweans!! Hee hee…

Here are some photos of their currency. I actually wish I had more photos of it:-
The note on the left is the Orania currency. The note on the right is 100 Rand S.African note.