TARIF: The Commercialisation of Lobola (the bride price) in Zimbabwe
The way different cultures approach the bride price varies, however the concept across the board is generally the same. The intent is to pay the prospective-in-laws a token of appreciation for raising their daughter well and to basically pay for your bride. The charges in the Shona culture can range from $2,000 - $ 10,000 (United States Dollars), some even exceeding those exorbitant ranges, which turns Lobola from a token act into a ‘get-rich-or-die-trying’ scheme.
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