In Zimbabwe, People Prepare More for Death Than Survival

Moonlight

By Staff Reporter

Harare, Zimbabwe — When Steward Ganda fell ill, his family hoped he would recover quietly at home. Like millions of Zimbabweans without health insurance, the 60-year-old tuck shop owner from Kambuzuma tried to endure severe leg pain without medical care, believing hospital treatment was simply out of reach.

Confined to bed and unable to work, Ganda’s condition worsened over the months. When relatives finally persuaded him to seek help, he was admitted to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital. Doctors first suspected a stroke, then later advised that he might have a kidney-related condition requiring a nephrologist. The consultation fee alone was US$600.

For his family, the amount might as well have been a million.

“We tried to raise the money for a whole month,” said his nephew, Ngoni Mutambararo, 39. “But we failed. He died barely a month after admission.” Yet in death, Ganda received what he could not afford in life: dignity. His funeral included a casket, hearse, burial equipment, and a 65-seater bus transporting mourners 135 kilometres from Harare to Wedza. The irony is stark. While Ganda never had health insurance, typically costing around US$200 per month, he never missed his US$11 monthly funeral policy payment to Nyaradzo Group, which covered the entire burial. His story reflects a national reality: Zimbabweans are far more insured for death than for survival.

Funeral Insurance Outpaces Health Cover

According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, nearly 90 percent of the population, about 16 million people, lack health insurance. Fewer than 900,000 Zimbabweans are formally employed, meaning most people must pay medical costs out of pocket.

By contrast, funeral insurance has become the country’s most widely held financial product. A 2022 FinMark Trust report shows 72 percent of insured Zimbabweans hold funeral policies, while only 30 percent have health insurance. Experts say affordability, certainty, and culture explain the imbalance. “Funerals are immediate and unavoidable events with strong communal expectations,” said Innocent Tshuma, public relations manager at Doves Holdings. “Funeral insurance offers predictable costs and guaranteed service delivery. Medical cover, on the other hand, comes with exclusions, rising premiums, and unpredictable out-of-pocket expenses.”

Public healthcare, though nominally cheap starting at around US$5 per visit, is plagued by drug shortages, crumbling infrastructure, and staff shortages caused by the mass emigration of healthcare workers. Private medical aid premiums can start at US$10, but often rise into the hundreds unaffordable in a country where 60 percent of people live on less than US$3.65 a day.

Culture, Fear, and History

Medical doctor Vivek Solanki, of the Zimbabwe Medical Association, says culture plays a role.

“In Zimbabwean society, dignity in death is deeply important,” he said. “Talking about sickness or preparing for illness is often seen as inviting misfortune.”

Solanki also pointed to Zimbabwe’s post-independence history, when citizens relied heavily on state-funded healthcare and rarely worried about medical costs. That system began collapsing in the early 2000s amid economic crisis, sanctions, and chronic underfunding.

“Today, even public hospitals require private funds for meaningful care,” he said.

A Booming Death Economy

Funeral insurance now accounts for 66 percent of all life assurance revenue in Zimbabwe, according to industry data. Funeral costs range from US$800 to US$3,000, making insurance a practical necessity. But African spiritualist Pearson Takaingei Marinda calls the trend a “commercialisation of life.”

“Traditionally, communities handled burials collectively,” he said. “Now, people must buy dignity.” In response, many Zimbabweans are turning to informal burial societies. In rural Zaka, the Jegede Burial Society was formed after an elderly woman died without means for burial. Members now contribute US$10 per death, ensuring no family is left stranded. Even so, community leaders warn that burial preparedness must be matched with health planning.

“We must also think about life,” said society chairperson Chomudisa Jegede. The government plans to launch a National Health Insurance Scheme in June, aiming for universal coverage. While welcomed, public health activists warn that sustainability will depend on economic stability and broader social reforms.

For now, Zimbabwe remains a country where death is planned meticulously while survival is left to chance.