The new currency, an outgrowth of the government’s gold-backed token, is performing well economically but receiving mixed public reviews.
Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), the new currency that evolved from a gold-backed token, has performed well on the foreign exchange market, but has faced difficulties at home. The ZRB announced new steps to combat the black market for the currency and improve its usability on June 4.
The Zimbabwe Reserve Bank (ZRB) appealed directly to the public via its X account to urge people to turn in illegal currency traders or businesses that refuse to accept its new currency. This was part of a continuous effort to combat illegal foreign exchange trading, sometimes at unofficial rates. According to Bloomberg, the ZiG has gained 1.9% against the United States dollar since its introduction in physical form.
On May 15, South African-based Crime Watch Zimbabwe reported that police in Zimbabwe had arrested 224 illegal FX traders, and the RBZ Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) froze 90 bank accounts and fined 40 people. The FIU was also monitoring activity in bank services to uncover evidence of illegal ZiG dealing.