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Zambia is not a high-crime destination on the usual Victoria Falls and safari circuit, and travel in Lusaka, Livingstone and the game parks is generally safe in daylight. The risks worth knowing about are practical rather than exotic: carjacking around roadblocks at night, badly potholed and sometimes washed-out roads, and the ordinary danger of sharing a bush camp with wild animals. None of it should put you off the trip, but each one has a straightforward way to manage it.
Crime in cities and at night
Serious crime does happen even though most visits pass without incident, and the UK Foreign Office advises against walking around after dark; arrange transport in advance through your hotel or tour operator rather than hailing a vehicle on the street. Keep valuables and document originals out of sight, carry photocopies of your passport instead of the original, and keep car windows closed and doors locked while you’re moving, since this is also when carjackers operate.
Carjacking and roadblocks
Carjackers have targeted vehicles stopped near gateways and road obstacles after dark; ignore anyone flagging you down or hitchhiking on a road at night, and don’t stop for an unofficial roadblock. Only use vehicles arranged through your hotel or a tour operator rather than an unknown taxi, and treat any insistence that you stop on a quiet stretch of road after dark as a reason to keep driving.
Roads
Many roads are severely potholed, and during the rainy season from November to April sudden floods can wash away bridges and sections of road without warning. Driving standards are poor, with frequent fatal crashes linked to drink-driving and mobile phone use behind the wheel; outside the main towns, night driving brings the added risk of unlit vehicles, pedestrians and stray animals on unlit roads. Public transport, especially minibuses, carries its own risk from overcrowding, driver fatigue and poor vehicle maintenance — worth avoiding in favour of a private transfer.
Wildlife and safaris
Wild animals in the bush, including venomous snakes, are unpredictable and do kill; never walk alone in an unfenced camp after dark and always follow your guide’s instructions during a walking safari or game drive. Adventure activities around Victoria Falls, such as whitewater rafting and bungee jumping, carry real accident risk and medical care quality varies widely once you’re away from Lusaka and Livingstone, so travel insurance that covers medical evacuation matters more here than on a city break.
LGBT travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Zambia and can carry a lengthy prison sentence; same-sex couples should avoid public displays of affection and be discreet about their relationship while travelling.
Other legal risks
Possessing pornography can lead to jail or deportation, and drug possession or use is treated as a serious offence; photographing army barracks or government buildings is prohibited, as is handling protected wildlife products such as ivory, which carries fines or imprisonment. Demonstrations in Lusaka and other urban areas occur occasionally and can turn violent, so avoid any crowd you come across rather than stopping to watch, and the Foreign Office notes that a terrorist attack cannot be ruled out, as in most countries.
Scams
Most reported trouble is petty rather than elaborate: an unofficial “guide” or currency changer approaching you in the street, or an unlicensed taxi quoting an inflated fare. Arrange safaris, transfers and currency exchange through your hotel, a licensed tour operator or a bank rather than with whoever approaches you first — see the costs page for what park entry, visas and licensed services should actually cost.
Who to call
Dial 999 for police, 992 for ambulance or 993 for fire; 112 is also reachable from a mobile phone and works as a general emergency number if you’re unsure which service you need. Save these before you travel, since response times away from Lusaka and Livingstone can be slow — see the health page for what to expect from medical care once you’re out at a safari camp.
Practical tips
- Arrange transport through your hotel or tour operator rather than hailing one on the street, especially after dark.
- Keep doors locked and windows up while driving, and ignore hitchhikers or anyone flagging you down at night.
- Avoid driving between towns after dark; watch for potholes and washed-out sections in the rainy season (November to April).
- Never walk alone in an unfenced safari camp after dark, and always follow your guide around wildlife.
- Make sure your travel insurance covers medical evacuation before booking adventure activities.
- Keep public displays of affection low-key if you’re a same-sex couple.
- Use a hotel, licensed operator or bank for safaris, transfers and currency exchange rather than street touts.
What to check before you go
Read your own government’s current travel advisory close to departure, since risk levels and specific warnings can change: the UK Foreign Office page is the primary source behind this page, and it rates border areas with the DRC, Angola and Mozambique differently from the rest of the country. Confirm your travel insurance covers medical evacuation, and see the health page for vaccination and healthcare-quality detail before you go.