Is ZiG 50 of ZESA always 22.1 units?

No. ZESA uses a stepped tariff, so the answer depends on how much you have already bought this calendar month. 22.1 kWh assumes this is your first purchase of the month, starting from the cheapest band. Later purchases in the same month buy fewer units for the same money.

How long does ZiG 50 of ZESA last?

ZiG 50 buys 22.1 kWh, which is about 39 h 51 min for a household that would otherwise use its full 400 kWh monthly quota (≈ 13.3 kWh a day). Use less than that and it lasts proportionally longer.

Do these prices include the REA levy?

Yes. Every figure on this page includes the 6% Rural Electrification levy, exactly as ZETDC charges it. Rates are the ZERA-approved schedule effective 2026-09-21.

ZETDC tariffs effective 2026-09-21

How many ZESA units is ZiG 50

ZiG 50 buys 22.1 kWh of prepaid electricity in Zimbabwe — as your first purchase this month, including the 6% REA levy.

Fifty ZWG is a stop-gap: enough to keep the lights, the fridge and the phones going until payday. Because it lands entirely inside the cheapest band, it is also the fairest price per unit you can pay all month.

Band-by-band breakdown

ZESA charges in six steps each month. Here is exactly where ZiG 50 lands.

Band	Units	ZWG/unit	Cost
First 50 units	22.1	2.2585	ZWG 50.00
Total	22.1	—	ZWG 50.00 (≈ US$1.77)

That is 6% of your 400 kWh discounted monthly quota. Anything above the quota in the same month is charged at the top band rate.

What ZiG 50 actually runs

22.1 kWh is about 39 h 51 min for a household that would otherwise burn through the whole 400 kWh quota in a month. Spent on one appliance at a time, it goes this far:

Appliance	Typical draw	Runs for
Electric geyser (150 L)	3,000 W	7 h 23 min
Stove plate	2,000 W	11 h 4 min
Kettle (2 L)	2,000 W	11 h 4 min
Iron	1,200 W	18 h 27 min
Microwave	1,000 W	22 h 8 min
Borehole pump (1 hp)	750 W	29 h 31 min
TV + decoder	120 W	7.7 days
Five LED bulbs	50 W	18 days
Wi-Fi router	10 W	92 days
Fridge / freezer	1.2 kWh/day	18 days

Wattages are typical nameplate figures for appliances sold in Zimbabwe, not metered readings — treat them as a guide to where your units go.

Versus the last schedule

The same 22.1 kWh cost ZWG 50.03 under the schedule effective 2026-09-18 (September 2026) — a change of -0.1%, which is why the same note buys a different number of units month to month. See every schedule.

Or start from the units

Working the other way round — what a fixed number of units costs as a first purchase this month. ZiG 50 lands nearest to 50 units.

Already bought units this month?

Then ZiG 50 buys less than 22.1 kWh, because your cheap bands are already used. The calculator takes that into account — enter what you have bought so far.

Open the ZESA calculator →

Other amounts

See every amount · Current tariff table · How rates have moved

Questions

Is ZiG 50 of ZESA always 22.1 units?: No. ZESA uses a stepped tariff, so the answer depends on how much you have already bought this calendar month. 22.1 kWh assumes this is your first purchase of the month, starting from the cheapest band. Later purchases in the same month buy fewer units for the same money.
How long does ZiG 50 of ZESA last?: ZiG 50 buys 22.1 kWh, which is about 39 h 51 min for a household that would otherwise use its full 400 kWh monthly quota (≈ 13.3 kWh a day). Use less than that and it lasts proportionally longer.
Do these prices include the REA levy?: Yes. Every figure on this page includes the 6% Rural Electrification levy, exactly as ZETDC charges it. Rates are the ZERA-approved schedule effective 2026-09-21.

How many ZESA units is ZiG 50?