Zimbabweans are turning Valentine’s Day into a showcase of what the moment values most—cash and sustainability—rather than relying solely on fresh-cut blooms. In Harare, florists described a growing market for bouquets built from U.S. dollar notes folded into decorative shapes, while nearby shops and workshops are highlighting gifts made by melting and reshaping discarded metal. The shift reflects an economy where liquidity often provides more immediate practical value than luxury goods, and where environmental concerns are pushing some buyers toward reuse.
At a decades-old flower market in the capital, Tongai Mufandaedza, a florist, assembled one “money bouquet” using adhesive and bamboo sticks, folding crisp $50 notes into cone shapes and weaving them with stems of white roses. He said he expects sales to rise as Feb. 14 nears, describing the arrangement as “something which is trending” that people want in order to impress their partners. “The market has improved because of the money bouquets,” Mufandaedza said, adding that on Valentine’s Day “we are going to have more, more, more customers.”
Mufandaedza also offered a specific view of why cash-and-flower arrangements have become a standout gesture. He said that while people still love flowers, “when they see the notes on top, the love feels hotter and the gesture even more meaningful.” In his account, the economic reality makes the cash element carry added weight: “Survival matters more in these difficult times and money plays a bigger role.”
Among customers browsing the Harare market was Kimberleigh Kawadza, 23, whose preference she described plainly. “The person who came up with the trend, I just need to give them a hands up. They did a good job,” she said. Kawadza added that a money bouquet is “a way of appreciating my partner,” and that it rates “a 100 for me, it’s a 100.”
Mufandaedza said interest in the trend began with younger buyers, but he described it as spreading across generations. He said some parents are buying money bouquets for their daughters “so that they don’t fall into peer pressure and get tempted to go for sugar daddies who can lure them with such gifts.” Prices, he said, vary widely—from bouquets containing as little as $10 to larger arrangements that can cost into the thousands—and he said a bouquet made with notes can sometimes be cheaper than traditional floral gifts. He gave an example that a bouquet of dollar notes worth $10 costs $25, compared with a bouquet of 10 red roses priced between $35 and $40.
The bouquets also reflect Zimbabwe’s cash-centric transactions. The U.S. dollar has dominated deals since hyperinflation pushed authorities to abandon the local currency in 2009, and even though Zimbabwe later reintroduced its own currency, the dollar remains legal and widely used. Mufandaedza said that because crisp notes can be scarce, worn and tattered U.S. bills—sometimes jokingly called “war veterans”—are less suitable for decorative bouquets, encouraging spin-off businesses that supply cleaner replacement notes for a commission.
Elsewhere in Africa, the cash-gift idea is not unique, but it has faced different regulatory reactions. The Associated Press reported that Kenya’s central bank has warned of stiff penalties—up to seven years in prison—for folding, stapling or gluing banknotes into bouquets. The directive prompted debate online, with critics accusing regulators of overreach, according to the report.
In Harare, another Valentine’s Day line is built from discarded materials rather than notes. At Simpli Simbi, a decor and gift shop in an upscale shopping center, Stephanie Charlton’s products include aluminum heart-shaped key rings, necklaces, platters and wine holders crafted from reclaimed scrap, positioned alongside chocolates and gift boxes. Charlton said she aims to turn “something that was unloved before” into a gift people can treasure forever.
Charlton said her customer base is becoming more local, after starting with tourists and members of the diaspora. She attributed the shift to rising environmental awareness and to the appeal of transforming trash into usable keepsakes. In an industrial area nearby, her foundry processes discarded items such as car radiators, rims and scrap metal collected from roadsides and landfills, which are melted and turned into handmade gifts.
“The women love chocolates and flowers, but they are here today, gone tomorrow,” Charlton said, contrasting temporary gifts with items meant to last. She said the process gives collected metal a second life, adding, “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.” She said each piece carries “a meaning” and “a story to be told with each piece.”