To drive to Victoria Falls from South Africa, most people take the Botswana route: Johannesburg to the Martin's Drift border, then north through Palapye, Francistown, Nata and Kasane, and over the Kazungula Bridge into Zambia, about 1,250 to 1,300 km in total. The other option goes through Zimbabwe via Beitbridge, Bulawayo and Hwange. Either way it is two long days, and much better as three if you have the time.
Route 1: through Botswana
Johannesburg – Martin's Drift (Groblersbrug) – Palapye – Francistown – Nata – Kasane – Kazungula – Livingstone
This is the usual choice. The borders are quieter, Botswana's A1 and A33 are generally in good repair, and Kasane makes a natural last stop with Chobe National Park on the doorstep.
| Leg | Approx. distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg to Martin's Drift | 400 km | Via the N1 and Mokopane |
| Martin's Drift to Francistown | 300 km | Via Palapye |
| Francistown to Nata | 190 km | Last big town for shops and banks |
| Nata to Kasane | 300 km | Elephant country, few services |
| Kasane to Livingstone | 75–80 km | Over the Kazungula Bridge |
Distances are rounded, and some sources give lower totals. Use a current navigation app or a Tracks4Africa map.
Day one usually ends in Francistown or Nata. Day two is Nata to Kasane in the morning and either a night in Kasane or the crossing into Zambia in the afternoon. With three days you can spend a full day in Chobe before crossing.
From Kasane you can also go straight into Zimbabwe at the Kazungula–Zimbabwe border post and on to Victoria Falls town, about 70 km.
Route 2: through Zimbabwe
Johannesburg – Polokwane – Musina – Beitbridge – Bulawayo – Hwange – Victoria Falls
Similar in distance, around 1,300 km to Victoria Falls town. Beitbridge is the busiest border in southern Africa and can take hours, especially at holiday times, and the Zimbabwean roads vary in quality between rebuilt sections and potholed ones. It does have Hwange National Park along the way, and Matobo near Bulawayo, if you want to break the journey.
To reach Livingstone this way, you then cross the Victoria Falls Bridge into Zambia. See the Victoria Falls border crossing guide.
Paperwork for the car
Carry these for every border:
- Registration papers (the original or a certified copy).
- Letter of authority from the owner, bank or rental company if the car is financed, leased or hired. It must name the countries you are entering.
- Driving licence, and an international driving permit if your licence is not in English or lacks a photo.
- Insurance. Your South African cover may not extend north. Third-party insurance is usually bought at each border; the COMESA yellow card covers several countries on one document.
- Nationality sticker or plates showing the car's country of registration.
At the borders
- Botswana: a road permit and insurance on entry. Modest fees.
- Zambia: road tax, a carbon tax based on engine capacity (in kwacha), third-party insurance unless you have a yellow card, and a toll at Kazungula. You also get a temporary import document for the car; keep it for when you leave.
- Zimbabwe: a temporary import permit, carbon tax, third-party insurance and road access fees.
All fees change, are charged in a mix of US dollars and local currency, and the cashier may not have change. Keep small notes of each.
Rules of the road
- Left-hand traffic in all four countries.
- Two warning triangles and a reflective vest in the car. Ask your rental company whether anything else is required for the countries you are entering.
- Speed limits are enforced, especially at town entrances in Botswana and Zambia.
- Headlights on during the day is good practice and sometimes required.
What goes wrong
Driving after dark. The single most common mistake. Cattle, donkeys and goats wander onto Botswana's roads, and between Nata and Kasane you share the road with elephants. Plan each day to arrive by 17:00.
Veterinary checkpoints. Botswana has foot-and-mouth control fences with checkpoints. You may have to drive through a disinfectant trough and walk your shoes across a mat, and raw meat and dairy can be confiscated. Do not stock up on meat in South Africa for the trip.
Fuel gaps. Fill up at Francistown, Nata and Kasane. Diesel is usually available but stations occasionally run dry; a jerrycan is not a bad idea.
Rental restrictions. Some hire companies allow Botswana but not Zambia or Zimbabwe. Get the countries in writing.
Arriving in Livingstone
From Kazungula it is about an hour along the Kazungula Road to Livingstone, passing the riverside lodges that line the Zambezi upstream of town. Zambezi Dusk is at 749 B Kazungula Road, on this same road, so give them your expected arrival time and ask for directions from the Kazungula side. The Kasane end of the drive is covered in more detail in Kasane to Livingstone, and the flying alternative in Johannesburg to Victoria Falls.
