Preamble

The Honourable Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities, Hon. D. Garwe (MP), has the honour to inform the delegates that the 41st Shelter Afrique Annual General Meeting will be held in the resort town of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, at the Elephant Hills Hotel, 328 Park Way Drive, Victoria Falls from Friday the 22nd of July 2022 to the 30th of July 2022.

Covid-19 and other Health Regulations

Statutory Instrument 67 0f 2022 Public Health (Covid -19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (No. 2) (Amendment) Order,2022 (No. 41)
Any returning resident or visitor who exhibits to an enforcement officer a valid vaccination certificate to the effect that he or she has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by means of any one or more of the vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation shall be allowed into the country. If they are not fully vaccinated then the following applies:

All returning residents and visitors have to undergo a valid PCR test not more than 48 hours from the time of their departure for Zimbabwe and
Those visitors not presenting a valid negative PCR test and a certificate to that effect shall be denied entry into Zimbabwe

Travel and medical insurance to cover emergencies is advisable, as are travel vaccines against common transmissible diseases. There are state and some private hospitals in every district, province, and major cities in case of emergencies. An ambulance and a medical officer will be on standby for emergencies before accessing proper medical facilities. There is also a clinic at the Elephant Hills Resort. Visitors are advised to eat from licensed premises and drink bottled water. May. June, July and August are cold and dry and largely malaria free. However, the general and personal protection should still apply.

Geographical Information

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country sharing borders with South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique. It has a total area of about 390,757 square kilometres. Victoria Falls is located in Matebeleland North Province, and lies on southern bank of the Zambezi River.

Population & Languages

Zimbabwe has a total population of 13 million (2012 Census). The average household size is 4.2 while the population density is 33 persons per square kilometre. However, there is an on-going population and housing census in 2022, which will give us new figures. There are 16 official languages spoken in Zimbabwe. But the most common indigenous languages are Shona and Ndebele. English is the business language. Victoria Falls’ population is 33060.

Capital City

Harare is the capital and largest city of Zimbabwe located in the Harare Metropolitan Province. It has a total population of just above 2 million.

Political Matters

The Republic of Zimbabwe gained its independence on 18th April 1980. The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe is His Excellency Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. There are 10 Provinces, each under the superintend of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, namely;

Harare Metropolitan Province
Bulawayo Metropolitan Province
Masvingo Province
Midlands Province
Manicaland Province
Mashonaland East Province
Mashonaland West Province
Mashonaland Central Province
Matebeleland South Province
Matebeleland North Province, where Victoria Falls, the venue for the 41ST Shelter Afrique Annual General Meeting, is found.

Flights

Harare Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport Direct Flights

Emirates Airline
Qatar Airlines
Ethiopian Airways
Kenyan Airways
RwandaAir
Tanzania Airways
LAM (Mozambique)
Airlink
South African Airways
British Airways
Comair
Malawi Airways
Fastjet
Air Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls Airport Direct Flights

Kenya Airways
Ethiopian
Airlink
British Airways/Comair
Fastjet
Air Zimbabwe
Mackair
Eurowings Discover

Bulawayo Airport Direct Flights

Fastjet
Airlink South Africa
AirZimbabwe

Entry Requirements

Every delegate should be in possession of a valid passport. There are three Categories of visitors to Zimbabwe. Category A is for countries whose nationals do not require visas. Category B is for countries whose nationals obtain visas at the port of entry after paying visa fees. Category C is for countries whose nationals are required to apply and obtain visas prior to travelling and apply on line through the website www.evisa.gov.zw and processing of same takes up to five days. It is advisable that delegates apply on time to avoid delays in visa processing. The visa application fee is USD$30. Delegates, upon application, can forward their full details as indicated on the Visa Application Form to the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities to expedite processing of same. Or alternatively prospective applicants can forward all their details to the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities so that they apply on their behalf.

Category A	Category A
Angola	Botswana
Congo DRC	Ghana
Kenya	Lesotho
Madagascar	Malawi
Mozambique	Namibia
South Africa	Swaziland
Tanzania	Uganda
Zambia	Mauritius

Category B	Category B
Algeria	Burundi
Egypt	Ethiopia
Equatorial Guinea	Rwanda
Senegal	Cape Verde Islands

Category C	Category C
Burkina Faso	Cameroon
Central African Republic	Chad
Djibouti Republic	Eritrea
Gabon	Gambia
Guinea	Liberia
Libya	Cote de Voire
Nigeria	Sierra Leone
Somalia	Sri Lanka
Sudan	Togo
Tunisia

Communication

There are four major mobile network service providers namely, Econet, Telecel, Netone and Africom. All hotels offer internet and email facilities.

Timezone

Zimbabwe’s time zone is GMT +02:00.

Business Hours

Office hours are from 07:45 to 16:45 from Mondays to Fridays. Banks open at 08:00 and close at 15:00 while on weekends they close at 11:00. Most of the public offices are closed on the weekends. There is no public holiday during the period June to July.

Transport and Reception on Arrival

Delegates and observers shall settle their airfares themselves. The Victoria Falls International Airport is located 18 kilometres south of the resort town. Transport will be available from the airport to the designated hotel, conference centre and dinner venue for the delegates. Dedicated vehicles and drivers will be assigned to heads of delegation, while buses will be used to transport other delegates. A reception desk will be at the airport to assist delegates with entry formalities and be informed of transport arrangement. Please remember to forward the details of the delegation prior to travelling.

Media

All foreign journalists wishing to cover the 41st Annual General Meeting of Shelter Afrique scheduled for the 25th of July to the 30th of July 2022 in Victoria Falls are welcome to do so and are further advised to apply for clearance to cover the conference before their arrival in Zimbabwe. Foreign media applications for media work in Zimbabwe as well as covering the Annual General Meeting should be on letterheads and forwarded via email or by fax to:

The Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services
1st Floor, Munhumutapa Building
Corner Samora Machel Avenue/Sam Nujoma Street
Harare
ZIMBABWE
Email: commint09@gmail.com
Fax +263 4 708557
The Ministry will respond to applications, directing successful applicants to be issued with accreditation cards by the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) before or upon arrival in Harare or Victoria Falls. Coverage of the 41st Annual General Meeting of Shelter Afrique will be restricted to holders of valid ZMC accreditation cards. The following reduced special fees are applicable for ZMC accreditation:
Origin/Nationality Application and accreditation fees
1. SADC region $65, 00
2. Rest of Africa $80, 00
3. Rest of the World $150, 00
Journalists are urged to apply early to avoid any inconveniences. The Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services is reachable on +263 4 764088/ +263 4 701437 and the contact person is Mr B. Muchineuta, Information Officer, + 263 712 236 449 or detailed information on normal clearance and accreditation regime as well as applicable fees is readily available upon request on commint09@gmail.com

Major Government Establishments in The Republic of Zimbabwe and Contact Numbers

Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities +263- 242-799125
Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage +263-242-703641-4
Immigration Department +263-4-791913-8
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International affairs +263-242-727005
Zimbabwe Republic Police Matebeleland North Province +263-281-30333
Ministry of Health and Child Care +263-242-798554/60
Zimbabwe Revenue Authority +263-242-790811-4

Emergency Services

Ambulance: 10177
Police: 10111
Crime Stop: 08600 10111
Fire Brigade: 998/999

Electricity Currency

The average power voltage is 220 to 240 volts. Two or three point plugs (square) are generally used, though some hotels might have round sockets.

Weather

Zimbabwe experiences winter from May to August, June and July marking the peak of the winter season. We advise travellers to carry warm clothing. However, Zimbabwe does not experience snow during the winter period.

Tourist Attractions

Tour of the Victoria Falls Rainforest
Bungee Jumping
Bridge Swing
Boat Cruise-sunset/day
Crocodile Farm Tour and Cage Diving
Rafting and River-boarding
Game Drive (am/pm) and Walking Safari
Elephant Interactive Safari/Elephant Back Safari/Rhino Encounter
Helicopter Flight over the Zambezi River
Boiling Pot Hikes
Lunar Rainbow Tour
Boma Dinner
Visit to Hwange National Park, 100Km from Victoria Falls

Currency

Zimbabwe adopted a multicurrency system where currencies such as the United States Dollar, South African Rand and the local currency $ZWL are commonly used.

Accommodation

Delegates shall be responsible for their hotel bills. Below is a list of hotels and/or lodges available at the time, prices as well as the number of rooms available for the period. All rooms are equipped with television and air conditioning as well as WIFI facilities.

Hotel name	Total no of rooms	Rate (USD) BB	Contacts
Elephant Hills Hotel 5 star	276 rooms (263 standard rooms, 11 executive suites, 1 deluxe suites, 1 presidential suite)	$90 standard room (single), $130 (double) standard room, $280 executive suite, $550 deluxe suite, $1500 presidential suite	Tel: +2638677004956 reservations@ehr.africansun.co.zw
Kingdom Hotel (4 Star)	294 rooms (48 executive rooms, 4 suite rooms, 242 standard rooms )	$130 standard room (single), $160 sharing standard room, $180 executive room, $215 sharing executive room, $250 suite rooms	Tel: +263 0781707147 reservations@kingdom.africansun.co.zw
Victoria Falls Hotel (5 Star)	15 Classic rooms	$588 (single), $626 (double), $470 for regional clients (SADC), $502 for regional clients sharing	Tel: +263 0771380584 resoperationsmgr@victoriafallshotel.com
Vitoria Falls Rainbow Hotel (3 Star)	88 rooms (22 double bed rooms, 66 twin bed rooms)	$80 (single), $55 sharing (double/twin)	Tel: +263 0773030715 reservations.vfrh@rtg.co.zw
A’Zambezi River Lodge (4 Star)	40 standard rooms	$90 single , $65 sharing (double twin)	Tel: +263 8328445561-4 reservations.rzambezi@rtg.co.zw
Vic Falls Safari Lodge	20 Waterhole facing rooms, 10 safari club rooms	$348 (single) (waterhole facing room) , $556 sharing (waterhole facing rooms), $415(single) (safari club room), $664 (sharing) (safari club room)	Tel: +263 0712207381/+263 0832843211-20 saflodge@saflodge.co.zw
Sprayview Hotel 2 Star	40 standard rooms	$120 single, $160 sharing	Tel: +263776081295/+26308328443-6 reservations@sprayview.cresta.co.zw
Khanondo Deluxe Suites	28 rooms (7 single rooms, 21 double rooms, 1 presidential suite, 1 queen room)	$70 single room, $140 sharing (option of 1 double bed or twin beds), $400.00 presidential and queen	Tel: +2630776248880/+0712798139 gm@khanondosafari.com