Apparently, in neighbouring countries like South Africa, Botswana and Namibia, many people can easily spot a Zimbabwean just by his or her accent.
However, Zimbabwean Ndebeles are sometimes difficult to pick by their English accent because they sound similar to South Africans, Zambians and Tswanas.
Besides accent these are some signs:
1. Zimbabweans especially the Shona like complaining about their suffering and poverty to foreigners. This is why foreigners love to mock Zimbabweans as “hungry and poor”.
Ndebele folks have a bit of pride and loyalty to their home country or city, they tend to be wise, guarded and careful in revealing everything to foreigners.
2. Zimbabweans are content with ordinary looks and clothing, they do not invest much into fashion, makeup and looks. While a typical South African is into swag, fashion trends, brand names and buying new clothes every now and then, a typical Zimbabwean would wear the same pair of shoes for 10 years.
3. A typical Zimbabwean is not into leisure, luxurious lifestyle, partying and other money-wasting ventures such as globe-trotting. They would rather save money to get an education, build a house, start a vendor business, buy a used Japanese car (Honda Fit) or get a transport ticket to the UK and other better countries.
4 . A typical Shona Zimbabwean loves listening to Sungura music, local Apostolic Gospel and Zim Dancehall. Ndebeles are into South African music, house, kwaito or gqom.
5. If you see a bus overloaded with luggage, chicken cages, Chinese bags, mattresses, suitcases, bags of maize and groundnuts, it’s most likely headed for one of the towns and villages in Zimbabwe.
6. If you see a guy who is always working overtime and late into the night, coming to work much earlier than others, and too scared of being fired, it’s probably a Zimbabwean.
7. If you refused to work for a company because the wages were too low, that job was probably taken by a Zimbabwean for an even lower wage.
8. If you see somebody selling brooms door to door in the streets, it must be a Zimbabwean.
9. The typical Zimbabwean is usually much nicer to foreigners than people from his or her own country. A typical Zimbabwean likes to exploit another Zimbabwean.
10. The typical Zimbabwean man has many “small houses” but he likes to act like a morally upright conservative man. Small houses are mistresses, side chicks and baby mamas.
11. If you see people in white robes congregating in the bushes and singing, they must be Zimbabwean.
