The unit of currency is the Kwacha where the South African currency is the Rand. There is no money-cooperation in Africa like the Euro.
It takes 500 kwacha to make about $3, so the money belt is FULL just to carry $100 US dollars. The tax rate is 16.5% on purchases and an extra 5% if you use a credit card…if they even let you . We could only use it once.
So we go to the ATM and then to a currency exchange to convert it all to Kwacha, and pay whatever fees that entails. It is pretty, though. Oh, and if your payment is close to the total due, you aren’t getting the change…