Davy / Hoogstraten / Zimbabwean funny forex deals

Charles Davy is a charming and personable African buisness tycoon with huge interests in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. he is also Prince Harry's girlfriends father.(pic Chelsy Davy)

He is also reported to be under investigation for allegedly dealing in large amounts of foreign currency illegally. Davy is one of the few white businessmen that had been spared by Mugabe as the government seized white-owned businesses. HHK Safaris,(website here) his game hunting and safari business in Zimbabwe, has made him a fortune and is considered one of the largest ventures in Southern Africa. Paul Mangwana, the country’s anti-corruption minister announced he was placing the South African-born entrepreneur under investigation for the illegal export of large sums of foreign currency, racism and bribery. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the police are all involved in the investigation that can bring financial ruin to Davy.

It's continued prosperity is said to be due to his well-known contacts to officials in the ruling party. He seems to have fallen out of favour with the Mugabe regime. The allegations are believed to have been triggered by a disgruntled black employee who alleged that Davy was channelling much of the company’s forex earnings outside Zimbabwe.

Caroline Graham from the UK’s Mail on Sunday, who went as an undercover investigator on HHK safaris (charging mostly American clients £17,000 for a 24-day shooting expedition in the Zimbabwean savannah) revealed how lots of money was made through the cruel and barbaric treatment of endangered species in the country. She witnessed animals being shot with bows and arrows - a cruel hunting form that has been discarded by many countries and despicable treatment of native staff.


The Davy family homestead is found in Lemco Safari Area, about 150 miles south-east of Bulawayo. This privately-owned slice of Africa covers 1,300 square miles - twice the size of Surrey and 0.9 per cent of Zimbabwe's surface area. This huge ranch, one of the largest in the world, was carved out of the bush by the family of Baron Justus von Liebig, the inventor of the Oxo cube.In 1981 Davy married a 22-year-old model, Beverley, who had achieved local fame as Miss Rhodesia, her face adorning countless Coca-Cola advertisements.

There is said to be a network of corrupt ZANU PF officials who benefit from their ties to some of the remaining white businessmen and farmers. Davy’s links to cabinet minister Webster Shamu are no secret, he is a 50% shareholder in Famba Safarais which runs parallel to HHK Safaris - he is also banned from the EU. Davy may have fallen from favour but is believed to be out of the country at the moment.

Legislation pushed through parliament by ZANU-PF allows a suspect to be held for up to 21 days without bail former finance minister Christopher Kuruneri was held illegally for more than a year. Davy are shrewd, prudent and expedient businessmen, absence may be a suitable cautionary move.

Mugabe has over the past few years jailed colleagues from the government that include former deputy Finance Minister, Chris Kuruneri, businessman and former Zanu PF MP, James Makamba for allegedly dealing in foreign currency. Webster Shamu was supposed to be a shareholder in HHK Safaris but owned 50% of Famba Safaris which shared premises, staff etc.,

Nicholas Van Hoogstraten as another example who has a large diverse business empire in Zimbabwe and has publicly acknowledged his support of Mugabe and the ruling party. Apparently Davy no longer has any connection financially with him.

Hoogstraten is the biggest individual investor in HWANGE Colliery Company (HCC) which is experiencing major export problems and cash flow due to late payments by the company's major customers, notably the Zimbabwe Power Company and Ziscosteel who owe US$500 between them. The mine has also hit amajor aquifer which requires US$160 mn sepnding. A rights issue was pulled after Hoogstraten refused to subscribe.

As a result the mine has lost out on a has lost out on a multi-billion-dollar coke and coal export deal with Satnel Engineering of Kenya.