In the last newsletter, we looked at the costs that we had for a 6-weeks period in Zimbabwe in 2016, to be there to support projects.
We mentioned that our cost amounted to around $1’600 compared to $5’900-$6’200 if we were coming from Europe for the same 6 weeks. So how do we come to those costs?
A breakdown will help to understand the main expenses that would be incurred in that context:
| Reason | Cost/Details | Total |
| Visa | $30 for 3 months | $30 |
| Flight | London – Harare (return) | $700/$800 |
| Car rental | 6 weeks – based on WV Polo (smallest car) | $2900 |
| Fuel costs to reach the project site | 800 km return to and from Harare | $80 |
| Fuel costs at the project site | 500 km per month | $75 |
| Cost of living (accommodation – based on self catering) (6 weeks) | $40 per day (budget accommodation) | $1800 |
| Cost of living (Food) (6 weeks) | Based on $5-10 per day | $225/$450 |
| Internet | $40 per month | $60 |
The high level comparison of the costs to be in Kariba show that the main savings come from the travel costs and accommodation: which was the reason to set-up a mobile house/office and operate from within the region.
| Reason | Cost with Maya from South Africa (details here) | Cost from Europe (details above) |
| Visa | $30 | $30 |
| Travel to reach Project site | $770 | $3680/$3780 |
| Cost of living (6 weeks) | $600 | $2025/$2250 |
| Fuel costs at the project site | $150 | $75 |
| Internet | $60 | $60 |
This comparison does not include the initial flight to South Africa ($700) and the fixed yearly fees that we have to keep the house/office here ($740). Even with those, the 6-weeks in Zimbabwe would remain lower in our context.
These figures help to give an idea of the expenses in both settings. While Zimbabwe is an expensive country for car rental, fuel and accommodation, you will see in the next edition that similar savings still apply in the region.
But do we need to be on the ground? Can’t we do it from somewhere else in Europe? Find out next month what we think.