Skip to main content

We can all explore Zimbabwe on Google Maps Street View, thanks to one person

Google Maps’ Street View is an incredible undertaking. It has taken the company, with the help of thousands of contributors, years and years of work to put together. But if you ever want to check out a Street View image of a location in Zimbabwe, you have just one person to thank: Tawande Kanhema.

After Kanhema found that he was unable to pull up the house he grew up in, he found that his hometown of Harare was no where to be found on Street View. His response? To take on the task of putting Zimbabwe, and 14 other countries in southern Africa, in Street View himself.

Zimbabwe wasn’t on Google Street View until this man volunteered to map it himself l GMA

Google actually has a camera loan program for Street View, which allows users to take advantage of Google’s 360-degree cameras to contribute to Street View, and this is what Kanhema used to capture all different kinds of terrain in Zimbabwe. Kanhema personally funded his trip — totaling around $5,000 — and covered areas of Zimbabwe like Victoria Falls, the main business districts in Harare, the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, and other tourist attractions and centers.

Recommended Videos

Kanhema also captured some incredible panoramic views, and had to travel by car, ATV, speedboat, bicycle, and helicopter to do so. Ultimately, he covered thousands of miles. Much of his journey was done completely by himself — though Google did eventually send a video crew to document Kanhema’s journey.

“Mapping the Zambezi river was probably my favorite part of this project,” said Kanhema in an interview with CNET. “It’s a very unique way of experiencing the Zambezi Valley’s rich biodiversity. We arrived in Victoria Falls late afternoon, just in time to catch the sunset on the Zambezi river.”

Image used with permission by copyright holder

While Street View is an incredible technology, unfortunately it offers much more detailed maps of western countries in Europe and North America — but there are still massive gaps in coverage on continents like Africa and Asia. In 2019, Google said that it had “largely mapped” 87 countries — out of almost 200 in the world. Over time, Street View will likely get better at covering the entire world, however, much of that may come down to user-generated content, which Google relies on for the service. Google also doesn’t compensate contributors who aren’t employees, so they’re left to fund their trips themselves, or try to get funding from tourism boards and travel agencies.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
Latest Street View app update will send you back in time
google maps historical street view imagery hits mobile app

Google Maps is celebrating its 15th anniversary by taking mobile Street View viewers on a trip down memory lane. Google announced on Tuesday that it is implementing a new feature that will allow people using the app worldwide to see historical imagery on their phones.

Celebrate 15 years of exploring on Street View

Read more
What Google Maps can tell us about the Russian invasion
what google maps can tell us about the russian invasion russia starts large scale attack on ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may be the first major military conflict that can be tracked live on Google Maps. 

What appeared to be armored vehicles were visible on Wednesday from a Google traffic jam update, arms control expert Jeffrey Lewis noted in a tweet. Experts say it's a sign of the challenges militaries face when trying to move covertly in an age of ubiquitous surveillance. 

Read more
Google deploys a Jaguar I-Pace as its first all-electric Street View car
Google Street View's first all-electric car, a Jaguar I-Pace.

Google has captured well over 10 million miles of global Street View imagery since its camera-equipped cars first hit the streets 14 years ago.

But despite the emergence of greener vehicle technology, the company has only now gotten around to deploying its first all-electric Street View car.

Read more