Zambia

Visas

Zambian visa policy is best summarized as confusing: there is a bewildering thicket of rules on who needs visas, whether visas can be obtained on arrival, and how much they cost. Local border posts also apply their own interpretations. Due to recent political turbulence in Zimbabwe, Zambia has been cashing in on the unexpected boom in its tourism industry, with visa fees hiked and the previous visa waiver program canceled: you’re now expected to pay in cash on arrival at the immigration kiosks.

Since 2014, it has been possible to pay by credit card at Lusaka International (Kenneth Kaunda) Airport.

The upside is that once customs has figured out what category you are in, actually obtaining the visa is rarely a problem and a rule of thumb is that most Western visitors can get visas on arrival. Visa-free entry is possible for some nationalities, including Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, Singapore, Zimbabwe and South Africa. See the immigration department’s web-site [2][3] for the full list of visa-exempt nationalities. Current visa prices are US$50 for a single-entry and US$80 for a multiple-entry visa for all nationalities and is valid for 3 months; US passport holders can only apply for a multiple-entry visa, but it is then valid for 3 years.

A day entry visa is available to all nationalities at US$20, valid 24 hours

Transit visas carry the same cost as a single-entry visa, valid 7 days

Do check with the nearest Zambian embassy for the latest information; the Zambian Embassy to the US has some information on their homepage [4] and getting the visa before arrival will reduce the uncertainty factor.

If you require a visa to enter Zambia, you might be able to apply for one at a British embassy, high commission or consulate in the country where you legally reside if there is no Zambian diplomatic post. For example, the British embassies in Al Khobar, Amman, Belgrade, Budapest, Damascus, Guatemala City, Helsinki, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kiev, Prague, Pristina, Rabat, Riga, Riyadh, Rome, Sofia, Tallinn, Vienna, Warsaw and Zagreb accept Zambian visa applications (this list is not exhaustive). British diplomatic posts charge £50 to process a Zambian visa application and an extra £70 if the authorities in Zambia require the visa application to be referred to them. The authorities in Zambia can also decide to charge an additional fee if they correspond with you directly.

Lusaka Airport Customs and Immigration is unprepared to deal with tourists. There are four lanes, segmented by: Zambian passport holders; Residents; Tourists; and Diplomats. Tellingly, the lane for tourists is sometimes unstaffed. Although there are many immigration officers present the tourist lane is often unstaffed. Be prepared for all other lanes to empty before being processed.

By plane

Zambia’s main international gateway is Lusaka; gone are the days when getting to Zambia meant flying via Johannesburg, Lusaka is fast becoming something of a regional hub. KLM now fly direct from Amsterdam and Emirates are offering low cost connections via it’s middle east base alongside the existing British Airways service and a much expanded Ethiopian network. Also Air Namibia also now offer low cost connections from Cape Town via Windhoek. British Airways fly to Livingstone from Johannesburg with Pro-Flight, a local operator, connecting Lusaka with Livingstone, near spectacular Victoria Falls, and Mfuwe, near South Luangwa National Park, and the other regional destinations.

Lusaka remains well-served by flights from Johannesburg, Cairo, Dubai, Nairobi, Lilongwe, Addis Ababa, and London. British Airways remains the main intercontinental carrier that flies to Lusaka from Europe, with direct flights from London three times a week. South African Airways fly to Lusaka and Livingstone from Johannesburg with multiple flights per day. Flights to Lusaka are more plentiful and EgyptAir from Cairo, Kenya Airways from Nairobi and Ethiopian Airlines from Addis and Air Namibia from Windhoek fly daily.

(NB: in Johannesburg the airlines have no control over baggage in transit and the airport’s baggage concessionnaire is exempt from responsibility by contract, so lost and especially pilfered baggage can be an issue.)

Livingstone International Airport has daily direct flights from Johannesburg with the carriers: South African Airways, British Airways and Kulula. Direct flights from Nelspruit/Kruger are available on Airlink Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Travelers can also fly to Ndola without connecting through Lusaka International Airport using South African Airways which has a daily flight from Jo’burg to Ndola. Ndola is the capital of the Copperbelt province and has an international airport which services such regional airlines as Kenya Airways and the aforementioned South African Airways.

Local carriers have not fared well for various reasons with Zambian Airways, Zambia Airlines and Zambezi airlines all not trading as of mid 2013.

Language

Thanks to its former colonial status, English is Zambia’s official language and the language most often spoken in schools, on the radio, in government offices, etc. However, there are over 70 different Bantu languages spoken throughout the country, the most important of which are Bemba, spoken in Lusaka(a little), the Copperbelt and the north; Nyanja (Chewa), spoken in the east as well as in Lusaka where it is the main language; Tonga, spoken in the south and Livingstone; Lozi, which predominates in Western province; Lunda and Kaonde are spoken in Northwestern Province.

Many urban Zambians will speak at least passable English. As you move into the rural areas, though, expect communication to become more difficult. Nevertheless, do not be surprised to find a rural Zambian who speaks flawless English.

The most important thing to remember when speaking to Zambians is to greet them. When you first approach a Zambian, always begin by asking, “How are you?” even if you do not care. They will consider you very respectful. Sport, especially football (soccer) is a very good conversation topic with men; church is a good topic with either gender.

Wherever you happen to be in the country it is a good idea to learn the local way of exchanging greetings, asking for something politely and thanking someone. These simple phrases will help make life easier.

Currency

On 1 January 2013 a new Kwacha was introduced using a rate of 1000 old Kwacha to one new Kwacha. New Kwacha are internationally symbolised as ZMW and old Kwacha ceased being legal tender on 1 July 2013.

Originally, the Kwacha — meaning “sunrise,” so-named to celebrate Zambia’s independence — was tied to the US dollar, so conversion was simple.

Drink

Tap water in Zambia is generally not drinkable, at least unless boiled. Bottled water is widely available in cities, but not necessarily in rural areas.

Soft drinks

A traditional local drink worth trying is maheu, a somewhat gritty and vaguely yogurty but refreshing beverage made from maize meal. Factory-produced maheu is sweet, comes in plastic bottles and is available in a variety of flavors including banana, chocolate and orange, while homemade versions are usually unflavored and less sweet.

Coke products are accessible and cheap at less than a quarter a bottle, but beware of the deposit system: in rural areas, you may have to return an empty bottle before they’ll sell you a new one!

Beer

Zambia’s best-known brew is Mosi, a clear 4% lager available everywhere. Eagle has more taste and more kick at 5.5%, while Zambezi Lager is a microbrew worth sampling if you run into it. The South African brand Castle is also bottled locally, and all of the above run around $1 in a store or $1-2 in a bar.

If you are near the borders, you are likely to find Carlsberg (good, from Malawi), Simba (excellent, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Kilimanjaro (nice lager, from Tanzania), and Tusker (strong, from Kenya). Other imports can be found in larger markets but will also cost more.

Security

Zambia is one of the few African countries which is generally safe, crime levels are similar to a European country. Bearing this in mind you should always be aware that some of the people are desperately poor and common sense should prevail.