FAQ

Namibia has one of the most modern communication networks in Africa. One, nevertheless, has to keep in mind that only 3 million people live in the whole country, so infrastructure development is very pricey per head. MTC announced in mid 2017, that they want to reach 100 % land coverage in the next years (currently, as of 2025, 98 % population coverage).

Landline
It is possible to call directly to 200+ countries in the world. Since 1996 all lines are being upgraded into fibre-optic technology allowing high internet speeds and many more features. Until 1996 it was common to have operator lines on most farms and up to 12 farms shared a landline.

Internet
Internet Cafés are readily available in major towns. Wifi-Hotspots are available in several hotels, restaurants and cafés throughout the country. Also more and more rural accommodation* establishments get Wifi for their guests (but mostly with snail speed). All landlines are operated by Telecom Namibia, Paratus or MTC.

Mobile Phone / Cellular
Namibia has a well working cellular network reaching up to 98% of the population.
By far the biggest provider is MTC (had a monopoly until 2007). It is followed by TN Mobile, which is constantly enlarging its network. In bigger towns you will surf with 5G/4.5G/4G speed, especially in rural areas 3G is still the used standard. Paratus has a small mobile network in major towns, but it is not really useful tor tourists. Loc8 has announced a 5G-only network as of 2026.

MTC and TN Mobile do offer different prepaid solutions and pricing models as well as internet solutions. Prices do not vary a lot between the two major providers.

• • MTC – Coverage map
  • TN Mobile – Coverage map
  • Paratus – Coverage map

————

MTC is by far the largest mobile operator in Namibia. This manual for pre-paid usage is therefore solely explaining the process with MTC and not of TN Mobile. Please note that the tariff T49 forms a basis for any Aweh packages, that are especially affordable for surfing. It is the easiest to download the MTC app, as you can freely choose Aweh solutions (if you have airtime available) through that.

1. Buy a MTC Starter Pack for N$ 20, no airtime included. You may buy it at MTC shops, where compulsory registration is requested by law since 2024 (bring your passport and a proof of residential address, e. g. a hotel booking confirmation with you). The starter pack is made up of a brief manual and a combined SIM card (all sizes). The SIM card is activated automatically when it connects with the MTC network the first time. eSIM is also available since 2025.
2. Airtime can be bought at street dealers, supermarkets, fuel stations, airtime vending machines, MTC shops, MTC app etc.
3. You must load airtime onto your phone. Simply use the shortcode *132*code# You will immediately get a reply message on your phone with the loaded amount. If you bought a airtime scratchcard or voucher, you must leave all the # symbols in between the numbers out.
4. Different tariff options exist with MTC prepaid. It is good to set T49 as a base tariff. Simply send #T49# to 134 and it will be activated. This must be done BEFORE recharging! Depending on the airtime amount this tariff is valid for a specific time frame (e.g. N$ 150 for 45 days). A minute or SMS within Namibia is very affordable. You can load packages like Aweh at any time in addition (no need then for step 5). Simply send e.g. #SuperAweh# to 134 or use the USSD *682# and follow the prompts. Then you will get a validity period of one week for N$ 53: 700 free call minutes, 1500 free SMS, 3 GB of data.
5. To use data services/internet/email (parts) of your loaded airtime should be converted into data. Otherwise data will set you back with N$ 0.90 per MB. To convert, simply dial shortcode *682# and look for the data pack that suits you best (e.g. 1.25 GB for N$ 25 – always valid for 30 days).
6. To then use Data services you  only have to set the APN on your phone: ppsinternet or internet NO other details are needed (e.g. password).
7. After every call you will see your balance on your phone. Otherwise simply check your balance manually through shortcode *131#

Please note that MTC introduced special Traveller solutions in 2024. These are much more expensive than the normal prepaid solutions, however, are hassle-free as they give you minutes and data for the duration of your stay.

Namibia is a perfect country to explore Africa as a self-driving traveller. Roads are well maintained, regulations follow international standards and road signs are put at every important point. It is therefore straight forward to find the right way through Namibia.

Maps
A map is for 99% of the tourist routes (except for Kaokoveld) the only needed mean of navigation. Different maps exist, but only very few are of good standard. You can get a free road map from the Namibia Tourism Board, e. g. at their information booth at the Hosea Kutako International Airports’s arrivals hall.

Navigation / GPS
Just like in Europe (where it actually makes sense) a lot of tourists like to travel through Namibia with a GPS / navigation system. Unless you drive to really remote areas in Kaokoveld, a GPS is not needed (it might be a nice gadget though) in Namibia at all. Even in Windhoek it is easy to handle the streets with a map.

For the remote areas there is one good software that is based on experiences of thousands of users. This is called Tracks4Africa and it is available for a few Euro by download. It is only working on Garmin GPS devices. Other apps for Android or iOS are also getting better and betetr, especially when they are based on OSM.

A satellite phone is just like a GPS only needed in remote areas of Namibia and this is basically only the case in Kaokoveld and Khaudum. Along major roads and in towns you have normal cellphone network and this is good enough in emergency cases.

If you drive into these remote areas, we recommend renting (buying is only recommended if you use it frequently) an Iridium satellite phone, as no other network really covers all parts of Southern Africa. Some of the car hire companies rent them out.

For citizens of 30+ countries a Visa-on-Arrival policy at some border posts has been introduced on 1 April 2025. This includes countries that were eligible for visa-free entry before. Please see all information regarding the eVisa/Visa-on-Arrival in the fact sheet.

• • Visa Fact Sheet (Latest version of 28 May 2025)
  • Arrival Form (PDF) (Strictly note: This form needs to look like the original when home-printed, so it needs to be in full colour, double-sided and in A5!)
  • Information regarding completion of Arrival Form

For further information please contact your closest Namibian diplomatic mission!

All permits are issued by the Ministry of Environmen, Forestry & Tourism (MEFT) only. This is often confusing, as travellers think that they can get a permit also with Namibia Wildlife Resorts, however, NWR is only the public operator of different accommodation establishments in the parks. It has nothing to do with permits whatsoever.

Permits can be bought at the following places (it is not possible to buy permits online):

• At the entrance of a nature reserve, national park, etc., however, it has in most cases to be paid in the next accommodation en-route (e.g. you get a permit when you enter Etosha through the south gate, but you pay for it at Camp Okaukuejo). This is NOT the case for Namib-Naukluft-Park and Dorob National Park (keep in mind: here only the B2, C28, D1982, D1998, and C14 as well as parts of the D1991 are permit-free)!
• For Namib-Naukluft-Park and Dorob National Park you get the permit in Sesriem.
• For the Naukluft section of the Namib-Naukluft-Park the permit can be bought at the small office close to the start of the Olive Trail;  this office is often not operating and thus it is strongly recommended to get the permit in Sesriem beforehand.
• For Mudumu and Nkasa Rupara (Mamili) National Park as well as Bwabwata and Khaudum National Parks you get the Permit at the closes ranger station to the parks entrance.
• Always and for any nature reserve, national park, etc. a permit can be bought at the MET offices in Windhoek and Swakopmund.

Entering a restricted section or nature reserve, national park, etc. without having a valid permit is an offence and you might get a fine (first fine generally N$ 300+) and/or you are ordered to leave the park immediately.

In most cases you may pay the permit by credit or debit card. However, DO NOT rely on it! Cash is accepted in N$ and ZAR only!

Permit Office Opening Hours
Windhoek (corner of Dr Kenneth Kaunda St (former Uhlandstraße) & Robert Mugabe Ave): Mon-Fri 8-17 hrs (8 am-5pm); Swakopmund (corner Bismarck St & Sam Nujoma Ave): Mon-Fri 8-13 hrs (8 am until 1 pm) and 14-17 hrs (2 pm until 5 pm), Sat/Sun 8-13 hrs (8am-1pm)
Parks: sunrise to sunset 7 days a week

Permit Tariffs
as of 1 April 2026 – DOWNLOAD FEES HERE (PDF!)

The following Rules & Regulations apply to any state-owned Namibian conservation area that requires a Permit.

• Do not leave your car (exceptions apply to e.g. Namib-Naukluft-Park, Daan Viljoen Game Park, Dorob National Park)
• Do not litter
• Fishing and boating is prohibited (e.g. in Bwabwata National Park)
• Do not collect firewood, plants or animals
• Stay on the marked roads
• No pets allowed
• Weapons must be registered and sealed
• No use of drones allowed
• Entrance only from sunrise until sunset (exceptions apply to e.g. Daan Viljoen Game Park, Dorob National Park)
• Any other rules stated on the Permit (e.g. a minimum of two vehicles for Khaudum National Park recommended)

Namibia offers all standards and ranges of accommodation. The standards are generally good, and the prices quite high (compared to South Africa, but much cheaper than e.g. in Botswana). It is recommended to pre-book any accommodation in Etosha and at Sesriem/Sossusvlei at any time as well as in Swakopmund and surrounding towns and villages during December and January. Due to the recent tourism boom many of the most popular lodges are fully-booked 9–12 months in advance.

The following prices should give you a very broad idea to plan your holiday budget:

• Hotel: from N$ 2000 (double room incl. breakfast)
• Pension: from N$ 1500 (double room incl. breakfast)
• Guest Farm: from N$ 1800 (per person incl. breakfast & dinner)
• Lodge: from N$ 2500 (per person incl. breakfast & dinner)
• Tented Lodge: from N$ 2000 (per person incl. breakfast & dinner)
• Tented Camp: from N$ 2000 (per person incl. breakfast & dinner)
• Glamping: from N$ 1000 (per person)
• Camp Site: from N$ 150 (per person)
• Rest Camp / Backpacker: from N$ 500 (per person bed only)

All accommodation establishments mist be registered with the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB), however, especially self-catering (“Airbnb”) are mostly not registered and thus formally illegal.

Namibians love their beer which is of highest international standards and is winning prizes every year. It is all brewed according to the German Purity law of 1516. Besides beer, South African wines are very popular and sometimes you even get wines from the five Namibian wine farms (by the way the driest in the world).

Imported alcoholic beverages are quite pricy, however, especially Jägermeister and Kleiner Keiler are very popular. So are ciders (e.g. Savanna Dry) as well as “Rock Shandy”, a mix of soda water, lemonade, angostura bitters and loads of ice cubes.

Alcohol (except for wine, beer and ciders) may only be sold in special liquor stores (called “bottle stores”) and only weekdays and Saturday before lunch. Wine and beer are also available in supermarkets, nevertheless, the time restrictions are the same. Check the opening hours of the bottle stores.

Namibia is a campers’ paradise. By law it is allowed to camp wild at any place except national parks, however, in practical this is only allowed with permission of the land owner, so the farmer, local community, etc. It is difficult to find out who owns the piece of land and thus it is recommended to camp on camp sites only. Basically only in the Kaokoveld “real” wild camping is possible.

Camping costs between N$ 150 and N$ 500 per person per night depending on location of the camp site and infrastructure. Some charge extra for the vehicle and a flat fee for the site itself. It is, different from e.g. Botswana, not standard to share a camp site.

It is becoming more and more often that “luxury” camp sites offer a private bathroom per site. Generally all camp sites have  a braai (BBQ) area, some have running water and electricity on site.

Most of the camping tourists in Namibia travel with 4×4 vehicles with roof-top tents, but also ground tents are readily available.

• Free camping directory of Thomas Richter

Police: 10 111

Windhoek
General Emergency: 211 111
City Police: 302 302
SMS Crime Line: 4444
Pharmacy Emergency: 081-129 4422

Flying doctor services:
E-Med Rescue: 081-924

Vehicle Accidents:
MVA Fund: 9682

Namibia has one of the best medical systems in Africa. It is one of only three countries on the continent where operations on the open heart are done. Throughout the country one can find basic public health clinics and hospitals as well as many first-class private hospitals. There are governmental ambulance emergency services in Namibia, however, especially in rural areas it is recommended to find another way to get to an hospital, as due to long distances the ambulance might take hours after call-out. Private ambulance services are the best choice, as they also offer medivac.

An international health insurance is strongly recommended!

Hundreds of public hospitals, clinics and health centres can be found throughout the country. For international visitors it is recommended to visit any of the private hospitals, to get the helped by the highest international standards. Examples of private hospitals are:

Windhoek

• Windhoek Medi-Clinic
• Rhino Park Private Hospital
• Roman-Catholic Hospital
• Lady Pohamba Private Hospital
• CMC Private Hospital

Other cities

• Grootfontein: Grootfontein Private Hospital
• Katima Mulilo: Enkehaus Private Hospital
• Nkurenkuru: Nkurenkuru Private Hospital
• Okahandja: Okahandja Private Hospital
• Ondangwa: Ondangwa Private Hospital
• Ongwediva: Ongwediva Medipark
• Oranjemund: Namdeb Private Hospital
• Otjiwarongo: Otjiwarongo Medi-Clinic
• Outapi: Omusati Private Hospital
• Rundu: Rundu Private Hospital
• Swakopmund: Swakopmund Medi-Clinic
• Tsumeb: Tsumeb Private Hospital
• Walvis Bay: Welwitschia Hospital

Throughout Namibia a flying-doctor service can help in cases of emergency. A special insurance to cover these costs might be needed. Please note that due to new regulations the rescue aircraft are not allowed any more to land outside lighted airports during night time: eMed 24 Rescue: 081-924, www.emed24.com.na

Many doctors, hospitals etc countrywide can be found on medpages.info.

Vaccinations
Please consult your doctor or your nearest institute for tropical diseases for detailed and current information!

No special vaccinations are required for Namibia and you do not need to bring your vaccinations card along. It is, nevertheless, recommended to have all vaccinations that are needed in your home country, e.g. Tetanus and Diphteria. For special groups (e.g. hunters) it can although be worthwhile to think about an anti-rabies inoculation. Yellow Fever vaccination is required if you travel to Namibian within a short period after staying in a WHO recognized Yellow Fever area.

Malaria does exist in Namibia. Broadly speaking the areas along the rivers in the north and the Caprivi strip are malaria risk areas throughout the year, other areas especially around Etosha and Gobabis in the east are malaria risk areas during and shortly after heavy rainy seasons. By WHO Namibia is considered as being a “low transmission country” in the 2025 World Malaria Report. Namibia was on track to become malaria-free, however, in the last years above average rainfalls lead to increasing numbers.

You may get a general impression on what is needed and recommended for Namibia from these web sites: Fit for Travel

The Namibia Dollar (N$ or NAD) is the only legal tender in Namibia. However, the South African Rand (R or ZAR) is also an accepted mean of payment throughout Namibia. The exchange rate is 1:1. Namibia Dollar exists in notes of 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 as well as coins of 5 and 1 dollar and 50, 20, and 10 cent. A specially minted coin is the N$ 10. Special notes are N$ 30 and N$ 60. All prices that cannot be paid with the smallest coin of 10 cent will always be rounded down.

No other currencies may be used for payments. Tourism establishments may (but it is very uncommon unlike e.g. in Botswana) also accept other currency, but must also always accept Namibia Dollar.

Nearly all formal shops, supermarkets as well as accommodation establishments and restaurants accept credit cards, mostly VISA and MasterCard. Amex, Digners and JCB is uncommon.

Foreign Exchange legislation is very strict and thus it can take an hour or more to change cash into Namibia Dollar at a Bank. The worst exchange rate you will get trying to get Namibia Dollar or Rand in your home country! Rather draw from an ATM which can be found throughout the country.  Use those that have a security guard on site. All four major banks (Bank Windhoek, Standard Bank Namibia, FNB Namibia, Nedbank Namibia) accept MasterCard and VISA as well as their respective debit card sister companies like VISA Electron. Daily or withdrawal maximum is between N$ 500 and N$ 4000, depending on bank, card as well as your home bank.

The National Heritage Council (NHC) is responsible for a few of the registered heritage sites in Namibia. The entrance fees and further info are in this PDF.

Namibia does not have opening hours set by any law. Nevertheless, the below mentioned opening hours should give you a broad overview of operating hours of supermarkets, offices, banks, government, etc. Generally the larger a town is, the longer large supermarkets are open.

• Shops / small supermarkets: Mon-Fri 8.00–17.00 (8am–5pm), Sat 8.00–14.00 (8am–2pm)
• Large supermarkets (e.g. Superspar in Windhoek): Mon–Sat 7.30–19.30 (7.30am–7.30pm), Sun 7.30–18.00 (7.30am–6pm)
• Malls: daily 9–19 hrs (9am–7pm); Sunday sometimes until 15 or 18 hrs (3pm or 6 pm)
• “Potschies” (small convenience stores): daily up to 24 hours
• Banks : Mon-Fri 9.00–15.30 (9am–3.30pm), Sat 9.00–13.00 (9am–1pm)
• Post offices: Mon-Fri 8.30–12.30 (8.30am–12.30pm) and 13.30–18.30 (1.30pm–6.30pm), Sat 9.00–11.30 (9am–11.30am)
• Government: Mon-Thu 10–16 (10am–4pm) with generally a one hour lunch break, Fri 10–12 (10am–12pm); generally closed between beginning/mid December and mid January
• Bottle Stores (Liquor stores): Mon-Fri 9.00–19.00 (9am–7pm), Sat 9.00–13.00 (9am–2pm)

Keep in mind:

• Alcohol may never be sold weekdays after 19.00 (7pm) and Saturdays after 13.00 (1pm) and under no circumstances on Sundays or public holidays.
• A public holiday is seen as a Sunday.

Namibia has 13 public holidays. In case a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is considered a public holiday. The president may at any time declare other days as public holidays, e.g. the day of parliamentary and presidential elections (last Wednesday in November every 5 years; last in 2024).

• 1 January: New Years Day
• 21 March: Independence Day
• 1 May: Workers’ Day
• 4 May: Cassinga Day
• 25 May: Africa Day
• 28 May: Genocide Remembrance Day
• 25 August: Heroe’s Day
• 10 December: Day of the Namibian Women and International Human Rights Day
• 25 December: Christmas Day
• 26 December: Family Day
• Good Friday
• Easter Monday
• Ascension Day

Tipping is not compulsory in Namibia, however, it is recommended for different areas of life and even expected in some. The following should give a broad overview. Please always keep in mind, that Namibians in the service sector generally do own very little. If you give a car guard N$ 10 as a tip, it is worth about 2-3 hours of work! Unfortunately, tourists quite often destroy “prices”, as the next time this car guard would also expect that money from a Namibian.

• Car guards (only if they are present on arrival and departure): N$ 2–3, at night up to N$ 5, in misty Swakopmund or so up to N$ 10 at nights
• Service station: N$ 2–3
• Porter in a major hotel: N$ 5
• Restaurants: 10 %, if service was outstanding even more, but also less is possible
• Cafés (if you drink e.g. only a coffee): round up to a maximum of 10 %
• Beggars: N$ 0.00 – they do not deliver any service

Veterinary Fences are set up throughout Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. It is generally not allowed to bring things like meat, milk products, skins, etc. across those fences.

Within Namibia it is allowed to bring those products from South to North through the fence, but strictly not vice versa. By violating this you risk Namibia’s status as “foot-and-mouth-disease”-free country!

Laws & Regulations
In Namibia traffic drives on the left hand site of the road, just like in all the neighbouring countries except Angola. It is compulsory to wear safety belts on all seats.

It is not recommended to take hitch-hikers in your vehicle and car rental companies generally do not allow it anyways. On the other hand, hitch-hiking is rarely seen in Namibia and officially not allowed (see the frequent street signs with a crossed “thumb up”).

A Namibian speciality is the “All-Way-Stop” (or 3- or 4-Way-Stop, depending on crossing roads). Here you have to stop at the stop sign and you are allowed to pass on in sequence of arrival. So the first car stopping at the stop sign can carry on first. Generally, you will find a small sign below the actual stop sign showing “All-Way” or a number, which refers to the number of roads meeting at this sign.

The speed limit in urban areas is 60 km/h (sometimes 80 km/h on major roads), 100 km/h on unpaved rural roads and 120 km/h on paved rural roads. Car rental companies generally set a much lower allowed speed in the contracts (70–80 on gravel and 90–100 on tar). Outside of schools the speed limit in towns is 30 or 40 km/h.

Outside larger towns along main highways you will generally have to stop at permanently set-up police checkpoints. Stop at the stop-sign (not the stopping line) even if you do not see any police around or even if it is darkest night. In 90 % of the cases the police will wink you through, however, from time to time they check drivers licences and the registration of your vehicle. Make sure, in case you have a rented car from e.g. South Africa, that you have the country sticker (e.g. ZA) at the back of your car. Also double-check that you, in case travelling inside Namibia with a foreign registered vehicle, have a valid cross-border charge permit (valid for 90 days from entering Namibia) with you at all times! Do not even try to bribe… often people end up in jail.

Always be friendly and polite… a smiling “Good Morning” or “Good Day” might help.

Traffic fines in Namibia are high and they were doubled at the end of 2010. So keep to the rules and regulations, even if you find yourself being the only one doing this (which is most probably the case in Windhoek at least). For example, talking on the cell phone while driving is getting expensive when you have to pay the fine of N$ 2000 (approx. € 110). If you got a fine, you have to pay it at the nearest police station within 7 or 30 days. Do so and always ask for a receipt. It is not allowed by police to take any money on site (so called “spot fines”).

Keep to “don’t drink and drive”, as if you get caught you will have to spend a night in prison (and if you get caught on a Friday it will be three days). The legal blood alcohol level is 0.37 per thousand.

Drivers Licence
It is a must to have an International Drivers Licence. There are many rumours around this topic, but without doubt an international licence together with your national licence is a prerequisite! Car rental companies might not ask for the international one, however, the police and for sure an insurance company will ask in cases of an accident.

Namibia has state-regulated petrol and diesel prices. This allows the same prices at every fuel station at any given time and eliminates competition in the fuel sector. The prices are set by the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy on a monthly basis (always valid from 00:01 hrs on the first Wednesday). Base price is given for Walvis Bay; prices for other areas are set by this base price plus an additional price for transport (around 5-75 cents per litre).

Valid as per 1 April 2026 (base price in Walvis Bay per litre)

• 95-Oktan – N$ 22.08 – change compared to previous month: +250 ct
• Diesel 50 ppm – N$  23.63 – change compared to previous month: +400 ct
• Diesel 10 ppm  – N$  23.73 – change compared to previous month: +400 ct

Please note: Fuel stations generally accept credit cards (Visa/Mastercard only); however, especially in remote areas only cash might be accepted. At these sites, generally also ATMs are not available, so do have enough cash for remote areas with you.

The following companies have fuel stations (known as “petrol station”, “service station”, “garage” or “diensstasie”) in Namibia:

• Caltex – 3 retail sites
• Engen Namibia – 56 retail sites
• Meru – 9 retail sites
• NAMCOR – 18 retail sites
• Petrosol – 10 retail sites
• Puma Energy – 50 retail sites
• Shell – 82 retail sites
• TotalEnergies Namibia – 34 retail sites

The following establishments are offering long-term parking facilities for your own car in Namibia. For further options and more details please have a look at the web site of www.dt800.de (in German only).

• Airport Guest Farm
  Uwe Trümper
  info@airportfarm-namibia.com
  www.airportfarm-namibia.com
  very close to HKIA

• Elisenheim Guest Farm
  Andreas Werner
  awerner@mweb.com.na
  northern outskirts of Windhoek

• Klingenberg Motors
  Paul Theunissen
  delpama@mweb.com.na
  141 Mandume Ndemufayo Ave, Windhoek

• Nubuamis Hills
  Klaus
  casarusski@yahoo.de
  approx. 20 km north of Windhoek

• Ondekaremba
  Peter Talkenberg
  www.elitours.de
  5 km from HKIA

• Store-All Namibia
  store-all@africaonline.com.na
  www.store-allnam.com
  Southern Industrial, Windhoek

• Trans Kalahari Inn
  Wil Bouwers
  grimm@transkalahari.com
  www.transkalahari.com
  20 km from Windhoek, 20 km from HKIA

• Hunters Home Vehicle Storage
  Manfred Gorn
  manfred@kgss.com.na
  www.kgss.com.na/hunters-home-vehicle-storage/
  20 km from Windhoek on way to HKIA

• Auto Hotel Giel
  Andrea & Karl Giel
  kgiel@iway.na
  5 km from from HKIA

• Gut Richthofen
  Michael Florin
  richthofen@iway.na
  www.natron.net/gut-richthofen
  20 km from Swakopmund to the east

• Car-In Park / Rent-A-Garage
  081 1282110
  www.rentagarage.com.na
  5 kms north of Windhoek (Brakwater)
• Car Storage Namibia
  Markus Batz
  061 400071
  www.car-storage-namibia.com
  9 kms on Dordabis road, 30 kms from Airport

–

Namibia is a perfect country to explore Africa as a self-driving traveller. Roads are well maintained, regulations follow international standards and road signs are put at every important point. It is therefore straight forward to find the right way through Namibia.

Maps
A map is for 99% of the tourist routes (except for Kaokoveld) the only needed mean of navigation. Different maps exist, but only very few are of good standard. You can get a free road map from the Namibia Tourism Board, e. g. at their information booth at the Hosea Kutako International Airports’s arrivals hall.

Navigation / GPS
Just like in Europe (where it actually makes sense) a lot of tourists like to travel through Namibia with a GPS / navigation system. Unless you drive to really remote areas in Kaokoveld, a GPS is not needed (it might be a nice gadget though) in Namibia at all. Even in Windhoek it is easy to handle the streets with a map.

For the remote areas there is one good software that is based on experiences of thousands of users. This is called Tracks4Africa and it is available for a few Euro by download. It is only working on Garmin GPS devices. Other apps for Android or iOS are also getting better and betetr, especially when they are based on OSM.

The procedure to fly an aircraft in Namibia during your holiday or extended stay is pretty straight forward. The following procedures and costs are involved. Please note that a validation is only possible for PPL (not CPL or ATPL). All information are correct as of 1 July 2017.

Latest Updates (3 March 2016) in connection with Eros Airport can be found here as a PDF booklet. You may also obtain info from the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority.

Validation

• Namibian Medical Class II (approx. 2-3 hours and approx. N$ 700) at any medical aviation doctor
• pass with 70% written theoretical Namibian Air Law exam (about 60 minutes and approx. N$ 250) at any flight school (book can be ordered here)
• pass with 70% written theoretical (about one hour) and practical (about 30 minutes) Namibian restricted radio-telephony exam (approx. N$ 350) at NATA
• pass with 70% practical restricted radio-telephony test (about 30 minutes) (approx. N$ 150) at NATA
• get your Namibian Restricted Radio-Telephony Operators Certificate Aeronautical from CRAN (N$ 60)
• get your SPL (Student Pilot Licence) from NCAA (approx. N$300) – valid for three month
• do at least an hour flight with any flight instructor
• pass the Namibian practical flight test (at least an hour procedures and optional x-country)

Allow yourself at least 4-5 days for the whole procedure of validation. A validation (approx N$300) is valid for 3 months.

Aircrafts & Charter
Flying in Namibia requires, due to height and warm temperatures, aeroplanes with rather strong engines. Very popular are C210 and C182, while aircraft that are very popular e.g. in Germany like C150 and C172 are hardly found. Charter prices are generally high, rates are wet, however, exclude compulsory excess insurance. In Namibia charter prices are calculated on engine-running-time and not flight time. Please find a few charter prices (correct as of June 2012) below, while insurance depends on total flight time of pilot and aircraft (starting around N$ 250 for a month).

Flight Schools

• Signa Aviation Services (formerly Westair Flight Training Academy)
• Namibia Aviation Training College (NATA)
• Windhoek Flight Training Centre (WFTC)

Airfield Directories

• Namibia Airfield Directory (order here)
• Airfield Directory for Southern Africa (order here for N$ 620)

Most of the tourists in Namibia travel the country by car… and most of those do an individual trip with a rental vehicle. Bus tours with mini busses as well as big cross-country busses are possible. Hitchhiking is not recommended throughout the country and the use of “Ovambo-Taxis” is very often not a safe means of transport. Public transport in Namibia is mostly used by the lower-income population, however, there are options for tourists as well.

The Desert Express was TransNamib’s luxury tourist train running infrequently (as of April 2026) between Windhoek and Swakopmund. It takes the train 22 hours per direction and includes two off-train excursions.

Long-distance busses connect major towns in Namibia and neighboruign countries. The Intercape ist the fastest, convenient and safest ground transport option in Namibia. The Mainliner and Sleepliner busses run throughout Namibia and even to neighbouring countries. They are affordable and quite luxurious. Another provider is The Oasis, a Namibian business.

Scheduled, reliable and safe mini shuttle busses operate mainly between Windhoek and Swakopmund. Examples would be Town Hoppers and Welwitschia Shuttles. Rates per direction are around N$ 350 per person.

Charter planes are readily available from Windhoek and Swakopmund, however, much cheaper are the scheduled flights currently offered by private local airline FlyNamibia. They also offer scheduled safari flights between major tourist destinations.

Ride-hailing has also become more and more in Namibia in recent years. LOcal provider is Lefa, currently (April 2026) driving in Windhoek only. It works just like international ride-hailing businesses and has its own app.

It is not recommended to take any public taxis anywhere in Namibia, unless you have a reliable driver recommended by e.g. your hotel. Public taxis are shared taxis and either have a taxi sign or a number-letter combination clearly visible. The prices are per person and are government-regulated.

Veterinary Fences are set up throughout Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. It is generally not allowed to bring things like meat, milk products, skins, etc. across those fences.

Within Namibia it is allowed to bring those products from South to North through the fence, but strictly not vice versa. By violating this you risk Namibia’s status as “foot-and-mouth-disease”-free country!