Money Bouquets Challenge Traditional Flowers for Valentine's Day in Zimbabwe
From bouquets crafted meticulously from crisp dollar bills to heart-shaped gifts forged from recycled scrap metal, romance in Zimbabwe is embracing strikingly inventive forms. This trend reflects life in an economy where cash reigns supreme and sustainability gains new social value, reshaping how love is expressed during Valentine's Day.
Cash as Courtship: A Growing Craze
At a decades-old flower market in the capital, Harare, florist Tongai Mufandaedza patiently assembles "money bouquets" using adhesive and bamboo sticks to fold $50 notes into decorative cone shapes, weaving them with stems of white roses. As Valentine's Day approaches, he expects business to surge dramatically.
"The market has improved because of the money bouquets," said Mufandaedza, who has worked at the country's biggest flower market for three decades. "On Valentine's Day, we are going to have more, more, more customers, because this is something which is trending. Everyone wants to impress."
Among those browsing the market was Kimberleigh Kawadza, a 23-year-old who praised the trend. "The person who came up with the trend, I just need to give them a hands up. They did a good job," she said. "It's a way of appreciating my partner, it's a 100 for me, it's a 100."
Practical Romance Meets Economic Realities
While Generation Z is driving the craze, Mufandaedza noted that demand is spreading across generations. Some parents are even buying money bouquets for their daughters to prevent them from falling into peer pressure and being tempted by sugar daddies who might lure them with such gifts.
Prices vary widely, with smaller bouquets containing as little as $10 and larger arrangements running into the thousands. In some cases, they are even cheaper than traditional floral gifts. For example, a bouquet of dollar notes valued at $10 costs $25, while a bouquet of 10 good-grade red roses costs between $35 and $40.
Many recipients ask 'where is the money?' if I deliver a bouquet of flowers without a cash design, Mufandaedza explained. The appeal of money bouquets is as practical as it is romantic in Zimbabwe's economic landscape, where liquidity often holds more immediate value than luxury.
"People still love flowers, but when they see the notes on top, the love feels hotter and the gesture even more meaningful. Survival matters more in these difficult times and money plays a bigger role," he added.
Regional Trends and Legal Challenges
Zimbabwe isn't alone in flirting with the fusion of cash and courtship. Money bouquets have surged in popularity elsewhere in Africa, including Kenya, one of the world's largest flower exporters. However, before Valentine's Day, Kenya's central bank warned of stiff penalties of up to seven years in prison for folding, stapling, or gluing banknotes into bouquets, arguing that damaged currency disrupts cash-handling systems and violates laws against defacing money. This directive sparked lively online debate, with critics accusing regulators of overreach.
Back in Zimbabwe, no such restrictions exist. The U.S. dollar has dominated transactions since hyperinflation forced authorities to abandon the local currency in 2009. Although Zimbabwe has since reintroduced its own currency, the dollar remains legal and dominant. With crisp notes scarce, worn and tattered U.S. bills, sometimes jokingly called "war veterans," are hardly suitable for decorative bouquets, leading to spin-off businesses where traders supply clean replacement notes at a commission.
Sustainable Alternatives: Love from Scrap
For some, love is finding expression not just through cash, but through trash recycled into keepsakes. At an upscale shopping center in Harare, aluminium heart-shaped key rings, necklaces, platters, and wine holders crafted from reclaimed scrap are displayed at Simpli Simbi, a decor and gift shop. "Simbi" means metal in the local Shona language.
"We are taking something that was unloved before, polishing it up and making it beautiful again towards a gift to someone that they can treasure forever," said Stephanie Charlton, founder of the shop. Her customer base, once dominated by tourists and diaspora Zimbabweans, is increasingly local due to rising environmental awareness.
In a nearby industrial area, her foundry stacks discarded car radiators, rims, and scrap metal collected from roadsides and landfills, which are melted in an open furnace and transformed into handmade gifts. "Women love chocolates and flowers, but they are here today, gone tomorrow," said Charlton, a former horticulture exporter who now employs 20 people.
"This is something that we have collected that would be filling up a landfill. But we have made it into something beautiful that you can give to your valentine, show them that you treasure them. There is a meaning behind it, there is a story to be told with each piece."
