Namibia Travel Essentials for First Visitors

Namibia is easy to travel in once you know a handful of things, and most of them are about the car. Distances are long, a lot of the roads are gravel, and the next fuel station might want cash you no longer have. Here is what I would tell a friend before their first trip. Everything below was last checked on 7 October 2026.

Money: Namibian dollars, rand and cash

The currency is the Namibian dollar, written N$ (code NAD). The Bank of Namibia says it is pegged one to one to the South African rand, and the rand is legal tender in Namibia as well. So if you come in from South Africa with rand in your wallet, you can spend it at the same value, though your change will usually come back in Namibian dollars. The catch is that it only works one way. Namibian dollars are not legal tender in South Africa, so use them up or change them before you cross back.

Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in shops, restaurants and lodges. With other cards, check before you rely on them. ATMs are easy to find in the bigger towns, and some fuel stations on the main routes have them too, but cash is still what you need in rural areas. The UK government warns of card skimming at some hotels and lodges, so keep your card where you can see it when you pay, and don’t change large sums of money in busy public places.

Fuel stations and cash

This is the one that catches people out. Back in 2010 the Payment Association of Namibia, which runs the national payment system under the Bank of Namibia, told the public they could buy fuel with debit and credit cards. It also said each filling station decides for itself whether to accept cards, and one that does must display a notice saying so. In practice many still don’t. Namibia’s mission in Geneva says many petrol stations take cash only, and safari operators tell self drivers the same.

My advice: treat fuel as a cash purchase unless you see the card sign, and always carry enough notes for a full tank plus a bit. Draw cash in Windhoek, Swakopmund or the other big towns before heading into the remote areas.

Driving

Traffic keeps to the left. You need a full, valid licence from home. If it is not in English, Namibia’s mission in Geneva says you need an International Driving Permit as well, and the German Embassy in Windhoek tells German licence holders to carry one alongside their licence. The UK government says UK visitors need their valid photocard licence with them in the car. I would still get a permit before you fly, because the mission’s own list of papers to carry while driving includes one, and it is cheap and quick to get at home. Remember a permit is only valid together with your own licence, so carry both.

Speed limits

The general limits from the Roads Authority of Namibia, as set out in South Africa’s Cross-Border Road Transport Agency handbook, are:

Road	Limit
Public roads in towns	60 km/h (some major town roads 80 km/h)
Tarred roads outside towns	120 km/h
Gravel roads outside towns	100 km/h

Namibia’s own mission in Geneva gives 120 km/h on motorways but 80 km/h on open roads, which does not match the table above, and a Namibian booking site says every car rental company tells visitors not to go over 80 km/h on gravel. That is what I would do. The UK government says not to go over 80 km/h on gravel during the rains from January to April, when many of these roads break up.

Seat belts are compulsory for everyone in the car, you may not use a phone while driving, and the mission gives the blood alcohol limit as 0.05%.

Gravel roads

Gravel looks harmless and isn’t. Loose stones and corrugations can pull the car sideways, so keep both hands on the wheel, leave a big gap to the car in front (its dust hides oncoming traffic) and drive in the existing tracks. The UK government says accidents are common on gravel and dirt roads, and that most rental insurance won’t cover a crash that doesn’t involve another vehicle or an animal, so read your cover carefuly. For the rainy months it also suggests carrying two spare tyres and plenty of water, checking road conditions before setting off and not driving outside towns at night, when wildlife and livestock are a serious hazard.

Plugs and power

Mains power is 230 V at 50 Hz. The standard socket is Type M, the large three round pin plug used in South Africa. The two pin Type C Europlug fits many sockets too, and newer buildings may have the South African Type N, which also takes a Type C plug. Bring one Type M adapter and you will be fine almost everywhere.

Phones and SIM cards

There are two main mobile networks, MTC and TN Mobile (Telecom Namibia). One safari operator says MTC has the best coverage across the country. Its tourist package is sold only at Hosea Kutako International Airport near Windhoek. As of October 2026 the Leisure bundle is N$349 for 14 days with 10.1 GB of data and N$65 of credit for calls and SMS, and the Premium bundle is N$659 for 30 days with 20.1 GB and N$125 of credit. The credit cannot be used while roaming abroad. You need an MTC SIM starter pack to load either one.

Every SIM must be registered in your name. Registration has been compulsory since 1 January 2023, and under the regulations someone who lives outside Namibia registers with a passport, so have it with you when you buy. Ordinary SIM cards are also sold at fuel stations, shops and supermarkets, and Telecom Namibia registers its SIMs at Teleshops around the country.

Remote areas, including many safari camps, have little or no signal. Download offline maps before you set off, and tell someone your route on the long empty drives.

Time zone

Namibia is on Central Africa Time, UTC+2, all year round. Until 2017 it put the clocks back an hour for winter, which is why older guidebooks talk about a time difference with South Africa. That ended with the Namibian Time Bill, passed in 2017, so the two countries now share the same time.

Water and health

The City of Windhoek says its treated tap water meets the Namibian Drinking Water Quality Standards, which follow World Health Organization guidelines. It repeated this in May 2026, when residents’ groups asked for laboratory proof. Municipal water in the larger towns is generally treated and fine to drink. Lodges and guest farms often use borehole water, which can be very good but varies in mineral content from place to place, so ask where you are staying. Bottled water is sold in supermarkets and at fuel stations. The UK government’s advice to carry a good supply of drinking water is not optional in a country this dry, especially in the car.

Malaria is present in the north and northeast. The US CDC lists Kavango East and Kavango West, Kunene, Ohangwena, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa and Zambezi, and recommends preventive tablets (atovaquone proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine or tafenoquine) for those regions. That takes in Etosha, the Zambezi Region and the Kavango river parks. For the rest of the country, including Windhoek, the coast and Sesriem near Sossusvlei, the CDC says cases are rare and advises avoiding bites only. Speak to a travel clinic before you go, as the advice depends on when and where you travel.

Emergency numbers

Service	Number
Police, ambulance and fire	10111, 112 or 999
Ambulance in Windhoek	211111
Road crash (MVA Fund, toll free)	9682

These are the numbers the UK government lists, plus the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund’s toll free accident response number, which the fund asks the public to use to report crashes straight away. Private hospitals may want payment before they treat you, even if you’re insured, so have your insurer’s emergency number to hand too.

Tipping

Tipping is not a rule here, but it is normal in tourism and much appreciated. These are the amounts tour operators suggest, in Namibian dollars, as of October 2026:

Who	Typical tip
Restaurant waiter	10%, up to 15% for good service, if no service charge is on the bill
Fuel attendant (fills the tank, cleans the windscreen)	N$5 to N$10
Car guard	about N$10
Safari guide	N$75 to N$150 per guest per day
Lodge staff (shared tip box)	N$50 to N$150 per guest per day

Fuel stations have attendants who fill the tank for you. Lodges usually have one tip box at reception that is shared among the general staff, and it is fair to tip your guide separately at the end of your stay rather than each day.

Related pages

See our Namibia page for places to visit and stay, and Windhoek and Swakopmund for the towns where most trips start. If you are driving up from South Africa, my South Africa travel essentials covers the other side of the border.