In Namibia, you drive on the left side of the road. You require having a valid driver’s licence and ensuring you have it with you at all times. Should you travel from abroad, please make sure that you have your international driver’s licence with an ID picture on it. . Always make sure that you have a proper check done on your vehicle before you start your trip – tyres, brakes and spare (perhaps even two spare tyres for long gravel roads). An update map or a GPS to give you the correct directions. A first aid kit (which is always available in our vehicles). Please do not litter, but dispose your of your litter when facilities are available to you. Keep a trash bag in the vehicle for convenience.
Take the same precautions as you would when in any other country. Ensure your valuable are always locked away in a secure place as possible. Ensure that your hotel room/ rental vehicle is locked when leaving. Avoid wearing expensive jewellery on your outings. Do not pick up hitchhikers.
Please wear your seat belts at all times, even when going on a quick drive. It is forbidden to use your cell phone whilst driving.
Gravel Roads
60-80km/h is believed to be the safe speed on gravel roads. If abiding to these limits, you will most likely be able to control your vehicle when in a dangerous situation. Plan your daily route the previous day to not exceed more that 450km, since the distance should take approximately 8 hours to complete on a gravel road. Gravel roads do change rapidly from hard surface to soft sand, on which it becomes very difficult to control. Keep in mind gravel roads are slower to drive on in rainy seasons.
Tarred Roads
120km/hour is the speed limit on our tarred roads, however 100km/hour is advisable until you familiarized yourself with the tarred roads and the conditions of the area. When approaching a town, the speed limit decreases to 60km/h. distances are great and traffic is minimal, therefor drivers are tempted to exceed their speed limit. Please adhere to the limits at all times for your own safety and that of other drivers. Not all sharp turns have road signs indicating this and therefor it is very vital that you remain alerts at all times and take regular breaks when driving long distances.
Animals
If you do see animals, slow down and be very cautious. Do not swerve to avoid the animal as rollovers often occur when drivers are trying to avoid animals. Do not stop alongside the main roads to look at the animals. Rather wait until you are your destination/lodge etc. do not travel at night and try to be at your destination by 17h00 or by latest sundown.
Fuel
Distances can be great when travelling across Namibia, so please make sure that you refuel your vehicle as often as possible, even though you may not be in the need of it immediately. Always make sure that you have cash on you since not all petrol stations have card facilities (normally in remote areas).
Water & Food
A good suggestion is to makes sure that you always have some food and sufficient water available for in case you have a breakdown where you need to wait for assistance.
Health
The North of Namibia is a malaria-endemic area and travellers are advised to use insect repellent and prophylactics to be safe when travelling through these areas.
Telephone / Communication
Namibia has direct dialling facilities to 221 countries. Mobile communication is well supported by various service providers, mostly MTC and TN Mobile, with international roaming agreements.
Emergency number:
Police: +264 10 111
Ambulance & Fire Brigade: +264 211 111