For the past decade, the town has been the first port of call for Zimbabweans, who were unable to buy basic foodstuffs, petrol or even soap in their own country, and relied on their neighbour for most things.
This year there is a marked shift in commercial activity, and the hawkers in the Francistown bus terminus are idle. In the past, we used to get most of our money from Zimbabwean shoppers who would buy literally everything, from groceries to hardware and clothing items, said Ikalafeng Maruping, a Francistown vendor.