Zambezi Region

Namibia’s Zambezi Region - formerly the Caprivi Strip - is unlike any other area in the country. While Namibia is known for its dry, arid desert landscapes, its north-eastern strip is awash with lush vegetation, high rainfall, and therefore bundles of life.

There are a number of national parks in the Zambezi region, covering both the Kavango and Kwando rivers - which are renamed to the Okavango and Linyanti rivers when they flow over the border to Botswana.

Mahangu has rich wildlife with many elephant and good lion concentrations, while Mudumu in the east sees mighty buffalo herds, and Malili is home to the largest wetland in the country, attracting colourful birdlife and aquatic species.

Just like the rest of Namibia, this is not a region to visit if you want to tick off the big five in one day. It’s more like a brilliant add on to any Namibia trip if you have ample time and want more of a classic African bush experience on top of desert adventures. Saying that though, the scenery is hugely varied here in the different locations, so the safari scenes and wildlife will differ from area to area.

The parks are made up of flood plains, riverine forests, woodlands, swamps - and bad roads. So it’s perfect for those who want an off the beaten track experience, but isn’t the easiest to travel around if you’re looking to pop in and out.

Birdlife is fabulous with over 400 species attracted to the wetlands and rivers, with red lechwe commonplace, and rarer antelope like kudu and sable also calling the Zambezi region home. Given the aquatic nature of the park, hippos are also abundant. While there are predators, the concentrations aren’t as huge as in some of Africa’s more famed parks like the Okavango Delta or South Luangwa.

Namibia’s Zambezi region history

This long, thin area of Namibia is the result of a very odd bit of map drawing, which was added to the country during a trade agreement between colonial Germany and Britain.

It was added to sweeten a deal when Indian Ocean island Zanzibar was traded to Britain. In exchange, Britain offered up the island of Helgoland in the North Sea and this land corridor, which was subsequently named after the German Chancellor who signed the deal, Leo von Caprivi.

In the second half of the 20th century the strip was seen as having military importance, so was at the forefront of southern Africa conflicts for some time.

When Namibia gained its independence in 1990, the strip became part of the republic and 20 years later in 2013 it was split into three regions: Kavango East, Kavango West and the Zambezi Region.

Zambezi Region | Namibia

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