The Signs of Zimbabwe (the southern Africa Edition)

One of Africa's most amusing and endearing features?  Its (creative) signs!

Like this one from Boulders, South Africa--I had no idea penguins bite and I admit it sent me into giggles.

(Check out the penguins here.  Be ready for an avalanche of ridiculous adorableness.)

(For the Senegal/West Africa edition of creative signs: go here!)

All over Zimbabwe are animal crossing signs (elephants, wild dogs, cattle...).

I was so shocked to see the actual animal being warned about near the sign!

Nothing like an (inappropriate) pun to sell some eggs in downtown Harare.

Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe -- I think it should more correctly warn you that the deadly hazards are lions, elephants, etc...

The ex-pat in me found this one particularly amusing in a very junior high type of reaction.

Cape Town, South Africa -- totally made my morning when I drove past it.
Nothing like a Chuck Norris reference to make you chuckle.

Well, well, Gaborone, this is a bit risqué! Apparently Botswana has a certain type of humor. 

Nandos, the South African chicken food chain, has a history of pushing boundaries in its advertising.

It aired a commercial called "Last Dictator Standing" (see video below)
that was never aired in Zimbabwe after Nandos workers in Zimbabwe began receiving death threats.

During Zimbabwe's presidential elections, I thought this was one of the more clever ads.
It shows the leaders of the MDC-T opposition party examining the election manifesto of ZANU-PF, the ruling party of Robert Mugabe.


Approximately 30 feet away from this sign was an entire braiding extravaganza in Gaborone with approximately 20 woman getting their hair done.

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The Zimbabwe Billboard Smorgasbord

A man changes a billboard in Harare, Zimbabwe, for Spar Grocery Stores.

Every time I drive past this Nando's ad, it makes me smile.

Although, it's hardly as controversial as a previous ad by the South African chain.

The massive overreaction to this ad had people threatening Nandos workers in Zimbabwe resulting in Nandos pulling the ad in Zim.
Here's the ad:

Zimbabwe is heading into election season.
This billboard was by the Constitutional Select Committee (COPAC) promoting the 16 March 2013 referendum vote on a new constitution.

There's a ridiculously large amount of ads for celebrity fragrances.  It feels really random. I suspect that
Usher, Justin Timberlake, Julia Roberts, etc., etc., have no idea they are flashed across Harare!

Air Zimbabwe, Zim's national airline, has gone under a few times, is trying to make a come back.
It's flying a few routes but millions and millions under, still fighting its struggle against financial troubles.

A billboard somewhere between Harare and Victoria Falls.
It seems a bit one sided in its target audience for the upcoming general elections....

Maybe this billboard was trying to make up for the previous billboard's clear gender bias?
(Translation of the Shona: Wives! Champion peace!!)
So, basically, men must vote and wives are relegated to championing peace,
vice being encouraged to participate also in the political process.
Peace and free and fair elections are everyone's responsibility and right.

Amen!!

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Snapshots from the Zimbabwe roads...

While visiting Antelope Park near Gweru, Zimbabwe, this dog kept watch.

Leaving Antelope Park we managed to get stuck in this rainy season puddle.

See the paved road ahead?  Oh it was a tease..and quite embarrassing to fail so close to the road.

Kwekwe's welcome sign.  You may recognize Kwekwe if you are a watcher of The Colbert Report.

Stephen Colbert did a segment on Zimbabwe (Watch the spot here.)

The Air Zimbabwe museum...or if it's not a museum, it should be.  The airline's gone under way too many times. 

A mosque in Zimbabwe.  You don't see them remotely as much as you did in Senegal.

For some reason whenever I see the lights not working signs (and naturally they aren't working ever), 

I usually find it to be the funniest thing ever.

A street side market somewhere in Zimbabwe during the rainy season.

A storm's a coming!

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The Oldest Desert in the World

After lovely visits to Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, Namibia, we visited the Namib Desert.

It was really cool to watch these guys on the dunes...I'm tempted to go back and try this!

The Namib Desert is the world's oldest desert.

It was breathtaking to see the dunes literally end in the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

When I think of deserts, I don't think of standing on dunes at the edge of a massive ocean of water.

On the sea edge of the Namib Desert, I passed several of these displays.  The shells spell out "Jesus."

One of the ship wrecks off the Namibian coast at the southern tip of the infamous Skeleton Coast. 

Local Bushman called the coast "The Land God Made in Anger" and Portuguese sailors called it "The Gates of Hell."

Why? The location has dense ocean fogs, the climate inhospitable, constant heavy surf, and lots of rocks..

all of which have resulted in more than a thousand wrecked vessels along the coast.

It's part of the reason sailors were so ecstatic when they would reach the Cape of Good Hope.

What?!  SAND? In the desert?!!  

Why, thank you for the warning.  I'll keep my eyes out for some sand.

(PS. This is by far one of my favorite signs I've seen in Africa.)

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Holy Rosary and Paint Nam!b!a

While visiting wonderful Swakopmund, Namibia, I had the pleasure of attending Mass here.

(How beautiful is that mosaic?!)

Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

The service was a mixture of English and German.

And I loved that the church fit so perfectly with the town's architecture.

Although, everyone bone in my body wanted to correct the grammar of this sign....

I loved the PAINT NAM!B!A movement!

When's the last time you saw one of these?  Let alone saw someone using a payphone?!

Atlantic Ocean and beach, I miss you already.

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Toodling Around Harare

A father carries his little girl in the Borrowdale area of Harare, Zimbabwe.

(This is one of my favorite photos I have taken while living in Zimbabwe.)

Zimbabweans advertising their services on Churchill Ave near Mt. Pleasant in Harare.

Two men walk past street vendors selling their wares.

So many restaurants and cafes grow their own vegetables.  This is The Plot's garden.  

Not too bad a place to sit by for brunch, eh?

One of the many, many newpapers in Zimbabwe ready to be sold in the Avenues area of Harare.

Hanging out in Harare.

I love Harare's tendency to put a bazillion signs close together, in a row, hoping you spot the one for which you're looking.

This is the Borrowdale neighborhood and for the parking lot of a Spar grocery store, the Total gas station, and I'm still not sure what the arrow is for...

Seriously, this little girl was so ridiculously adorable that she required a second photo--look at those cheek and hair! So cute!

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