Think you’re a geography whiz? An ‘Africa aficionado’? Then see how many of these facts you knew about Zimbabwe’s capital city and central business hub, Harare.
Harare owes its name to a Shona chief by the name of Ne-Harawa. His name reportedly meant “He who does not sleep.”
Under colonial rule in the late 1800s, the city was called Fort Salisbury to commemorate then British Prime Minister Lord Salisbury. It retained this name for close to a century until Zimbabwean independence in 1980.
Harare is Zimbabwe's leading financial, commercial, and communications hub — tens of billions of rands have been invested by big banks such as Old Mutual, Stanbic and Barclays, along with companies such as Econet (telecommunications), Delta Corporation (soft drinks and beer) and ZimPlats (mining).
The city’s booming exports include gold, maize, cotton, tobacco, citrus fruits, textiles and steel.
Company meetings promise to be wild. Roughly 30km outside Harare is Thetford Game Reserve, a surprisingly idyllic slice of wilderness considering its proximity to the city. Spanning 3,300 hectares of stunning countryside and mountain terrain, this reserve is home to buffalo, girrafes, impalas, zebras and rhinos.
The 200-hectare Mukuvisi Woodlands is even closer — just 5km from the heart of the city and prime territory for birding (keep an eye out for some of Zimbabwe’s most well-known species including the water stork and red-collared widow-bird), guided pony rides, and sightings of crocodiles, impalas and zebras.
Or, if you just want to make the most of your long layover, stop by Wild Is Life Grand Zimbabwe, a sanctuary devoted to rescuing and rehabilitating local wildlife. Within minutes of the international airport, this centre temporarily cares for baby elephants, long-legged giraffes, and majestic big cats before releasing them back into the wild. This is the place to get up close and personal with some of southern Africa’s most treasured wildlife.
Responding to a demand for direct flights from the Mother City to Harare over the festive season, RwandAir has upgraded its Boeing 737-800 to an Airbus A330-200 for all flights until 14 January 2019.
Not only does this increase the overall capacity of flights, but the passenger experience as a whole: Business class with full lie-flat seats, along with Premium Economy and Economy fares.
Flight Schedule (roundtrip fares starting from R7,550* including taxes):
· Mon, Weds, Fri, Sun: CPT to HRE (16h00 to 19h00)
· Mon, Weds, Fri, Sun: HRE to CPT (11h45 to 14h45)
Travelling to Harare from Cape Town for business or pleasure? Let our professional travel agents take the hassle out of planning your next trip! Contact your nearest Sure Travel agency to enquire or book, or call +27 (0)861 47 48 49.
*Subject to availability at time of booking. Terms and conditions apply.