Kazungula Crossing

By Chloe Durr

Kazungula is a Zambian border town located on the banks of the Zambezi River - more or less equidistant from the Namibian border point of Ngoma and Livingstone in Zambia (70 km towards the east), or for that matter the town Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

It is one of the few places in the world where the territories of four countries - Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe - meet at a quadri-point in the middle of the Zambezi River. Technically speaking, when you are on that quadri-point, you simultaneously find yourself in four countries - try getting your head around that!

The border crossing may seem like a nightmare, especially when coming from the Zambian side - trucks line the roads for miles sometimes waiting weeks to cross. Do not join the truck queue as there is a non-commercial vehicle-queue. The easiest way to cross the border is, by using the Kazungula Ferry, which crosses the breadth of the Zambezi River - roughly 400 metres - to Kazungula in Botswana, less than 10 kilometres east of Kasane (which is the gateway to the Chobe National Park).

Relax and enjoy the chaos of a truly African adventure when crossing this border - as long as you have enough empty pages left in your passport, a yellow fever vaccination certificate, the necessary visas, myriad of required vehicle clearances and documents, and no banned goods. The construction of the 923m long Kazungula Bridge is nearing completion and will on completion certainly facilitate an easier border crossing - at the expense of another nostalgic African experience.

Tips:

·Credit cards are accepted for payment of custom fees at border control points, but the machines often do not work. Many of the ATM-machines in small towns and at filling stations throughout the KASA regions do not function - so be sure to carry cash ; preferably US Dollars.

·Keep a tight watch over your cash, cameras and other personal possessions, and always keep car doors and windows locked when you are not inside your vehicle.

·Carry on you and leave at home with a reliable person, copies of your passport.

·Have a black pen on you for all paperwork at border crossings.

·Get your KAZA-Visa online in advance of your trip.

·Avoid border crossings between 07h00 to 11h00 in the mornings which is usually the busiest period.

·Do not carry meat or firewood in your vehicle when crossing borders as it will be confiscated. Carry charcoal.

·No fresh produce is allowed across the border from Zimbabwe to Botswana.

·You may have your vehicle washed without your permission while you are busy at border crossings - keep coins handy.

·Beware of people wanting to assist you cross the border - it may cost you time and money.