“How Do People Survive Here?”: UK Woman Complains About Deodorant Costs in Zimbabwe
- A UK traveller expressed shock at finding deodorant priced at $2.80 in a Zimbabwe grocery store
- A local woman she encountered in the store confirmed that people in Zimbabwe are struggling with the high costs
- Social media users had mixed reactions, with some Zimbabweans explaining how locals have adapted to the expensive pricing
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Source: Instagram
A UK woman has sparked debate online after complaining about the high cost of deodorant in Zimbabwe, claiming prices are more expensive than back home in England. The travel content creator shared a video on 20 July 2025 showing her shock at finding deodorant priced at $2.80 in a local grocery store. Her caption read:
"Ridiculous pricing. How do people survive here?"
The video quickly went viral on TikTok, getting over 5,000 reactions from viewers around the world.
In the footage, the woman can be seen walking through the toiletry section of a Zimbabwe grocery store, expressing disbelief at the pricing. When she encounters a local shopper, she explains that she's from England and that even there, deodorant isn't as expensive. The UK traveller mentions she was making the video to show her friends back home how the economy is struggling in Zimbabwe.
Source: TikTok
TikTok users comment on the woman's reaction
@Teejay... commented:
"'You, you are just struggling' 😭🙏🏽"
@Br Arthur wrote:
"Zim is not for beginners😭👌"
@Joe Ngarande shared:
"Anything below $20 is not expensive in Zimbabwe, my dear..."
@Lerato pointed out:
"It's £2.50 in England 👐🏾👐🏾👐🏾 So it's actually cheaper in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼."
@busiiee._ explained:
"It explains why most Zimbabweans aren't shocked when they go abroad. We are used to paying ridiculous prices at home 😭"
@Craigs added:
"People don't realise that Zimbabweans are actually rich, everything is overpriced here, but we can manage to buy it😃"
@itai Mukotekwa said:
"Zimbabwe is the best country in the world."
@Jack Le Vieux corrected:
"It's not pounds🥀🥀"
Zimbabwe's economic challenges
According to Forbes, Zimbabwe’s currency situation is complicated. Right now, one South African rand equals about 18.56 Zimbabwean dollars. The African Development Bank Group reports show that the country’s economy has struggled, with its old currency losing almost 90% of its value in 2023 before being replaced in April 2024 by a new one called Zimbabwe Gold (ZIG).
Even with this change, challenges remain—poverty affects nearly 39% of the population, unemployment is around 21%, and about 3 million skilled workers have left the country due to ongoing economic pressures.
During content creator @maisieladdie's conversation with the local woman in the store, she learned more about the economic challenges facing ordinary Zimbabweans. The local shopper confirmed that people are indeed struggling with the high costs of basic items, giving the UK visitor a better understanding of the daily challenges faced by residents.
However, many viewers pointed out that the woman may not have fully understood the currency system or pricing structure in Zimbabwe.
View the TikTok post below:
Other stories about people in Zimbabwe
- Briefly News recently reported on a couple who travelled from Johannesburg to Great Zimbabwe for 10 days, but their description of the "easiest border crossings" revealed surprising details about the journey that many didn't expect.
- A UK woman's grocery shopping experience at what she called "the biggest supermarket in Harare" went viral, though her discovery of the modern shopping facilities challenged many people's assumptions about Zimbabwe.
- Zimbabwean health workers are using virtual clinics to assist citizens in South Africa, but the legal questions surrounding this makeshift system have sparked heated debates about healthcare access.
Source: Briefly News
