In the US dollar economy that pervades in Zimbabwe change is always an issue. We seem to have got over the problem of dollar notes, though they remain by and large disgusting. Smaller than that is definitely a problem and whilst some outlets use the occasional South African coins it is more common to give chang in items or a credit note at the supermarket.
A couple of days ago I was having a French conversation lesson with my “Professeur de Francais” at an Avondale cafe when the change arrived in the form of half a Cadbury’s Flake (centre of the picture). Apparently it representd 50c. So we shared it and ate it.
Zimbabwe Absurdity 
Malheureusement ce n’etais pas du chocolat francais ou suisse…
Half a chocolate – I’m surprised that there’s still no change available, I was out there in August and there was none anywhere. But then some people quite like getting sweeties for change, and I suppose it’s hard to get back into the habit of using coins and small numbers when everyone got used to such large notes.
It’s more a case of lack of availability and I presume weight. Most of our notes come via South Africa from cash remittances from relatives living abroard and I guess coins just don’t enter the scene. They would also be very heavy to move in the sort of quantities that we would require. Credit notes are used a lot too.