RBZ PLOTS ZIMDOLLAR COMEBACK BY 2030, BUT CAN ZIMBABWEANS EVER TRUST IT AGAIN?
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe says it now has a clear roadmap to restore the Zimbabwean dollar as the country’s sole currency by 2030, marking yet another bold attempt to revive a unit many citizens have long abandoned. In its new Five-Year Strategic Plan (2026–2030), the RBZ claims businesses are pushing hard for a return to a mono-currency system, now branded Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), which replaced the Zimdollar in April 2024.
The plan promises stability, better-quality banknotes, wider use of ZiG for taxes and government payments, lower bank charges, and clearer rules to protect US dollar savings during the transition. The RBZ also says it wants to end “currency discrimination” that favours the US dollar and to make local borrowing more affordable.
But beneath the glossy roadmap lies a deep trust crisis. After decades of hyperinflation, demonetisation and policy U-turns under ZANU-PF, many Zimbabweans simply do not believe the central bank can safeguard any local currency now or in the future.