Angola 
Botswana 
Namibia 
Zambia 
Zimbabwe WELCOME TO THE KAVANGO-ZAMBEZI
ZAMBIA
The Kavango Zambezi TFCA is enormous, larger than Germany and Austria combined and nearly twice as large as the United Kingdom. It lies in the Kavango and Zambezi river basins where Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe converge.
Zambia in depth.
Zambia sits at the crossroads of southern, central and east Africa and is an outstanding destination for wildlife watchers. Its rolling landscapes comprise vast tracts of miombo and mopane woodland, some immense wetlands and several major rivers – not least the Zambezi, which forms the southern border with Zimbabwe and thunders over the world-famous Victoria Falls. With a population density of barely 25 people per km2, Zambia has plenty of space for wildlife. Kavango Zambezi now embraces some 132,000 km2 in the country’s southwest corner, nearly one-fifth of its total area. This represents 25% of the trans-frontier park, and includes some spectacular wilderness and world-class wildlife reserves.
Kafue National Park is Zambia’s biggest park – at some 22,500-km2, larger than Israel – and makes up the northernmost arm of Kavango Zambezi. This huge reserve protects much of the southward course of the Kafue River, the Zambezi’s largest tributary, and comprises a rich landscape tapestry of woodland, rocky hills, savannah and floodplain. For sheer wildlife diversity, Kafue is hard to beat. Each landscape has its specialities. In the north, the Busanga Plains are a large seasonal wetland reminiscent of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, with large herds of lechwe and puku and lion prides lurking on date-palm islands. In the central districts, hippos throng the pools and leopard prowl the riverbanks. To the south, buffalo graze in their thousands around Lake Ithezi-Thezi while the open plains of Nanzhila are excellent cheetah country. Elephants roam the entire region and wild dogs can turn up anywhere.
Despite its riches, Kafue remains less visited than South Luangwa National Park, Zambia’s premier reserve, which lies outside Kavango Zambezi. This partly reflects a history of poaching, which has left large mammals in some areas a little warier than elsewhere. Today, however, improved management means you can expect an excellent safari, and on game drives, guided walks and boat trips you will often feel you have this vast wilderness to yourself. As well as the usual A-list safari fare, Kafue offers a chance to seek out more unusual wildlife – including elusive antelope, such as roan, oribi and Liechtenstein’s hartebeest, and rare birds, such as the highly localised black-cheeked lovebird (Agapornis nigrigenis), just one of nearly 500 species recorded in the park.
Restoring once-neglected conservation areas is now – thanks to Kavango Zambezi’s conservation partners – a flourishing trend in Zambia. Southeast of Kafue, in the country’s southwest corner, Sioma Nwezi National Park protects a 5,000km2 expanse of floodplain between the Zambezi and the Cuando rivers. Abutting the vast Luengue-Luiana National Park in neighbouring Angola, this undeveloped wilderness protects one of Kavango Zambezi’s six key wildlife dispersal areas and historically has been a vital migratory corridor for elephants. Today it is seeing an impressive wildlife recovery: as well as elephants, rangers are reporting increasing sightings of lion, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, buffalo, hippo and numerous antelope species. A genuine wilderness experience awaits the adventurous visitor here, while just outside the park, Ngonye Falls offers an impressive cataract second only to Victoria Falls in volume.
Local communities have been instrumental in developing visitor facilities at Ngonye and elsewhere in southwest Zambia, while conservation NGOs are helping restock the area with game. This is ably demonstrated at Simalaha, a community conservancy that opened in 2021, inspired and driven by the Sesheke and Sekhute chiefdoms. Located on the open Zambezi floodplain, Simalaha – whose name means ‘coming together’– is becoming a key part of the Kavango Zambezi jigsaw, and fundamental to re-establishing wildlife populations and migration routes. Wildebeest, zebra, red lechwe, puku, impala, waterbuck, giraffe, buffalo, eland and sable have all been re-introduced and are now thriving.
Of course, no visit to southwest Zambia would be complete without a visit to the country’s most famous landmark, Victoria Falls. This mighty cataract lies just a short distance downstream from Simalaha, but – as one of Africa’s top tourist hubs – offers a very different experience, with numerous hotels and lodges, plus visitor activities ranging from sundowner cruises to white-water rafting. Views from the Zambian side of the falls allow you to appreciate the full majesty of the 1.7km wide gorge and to explore the islands upstream. Those still in search of wildlife may encounter hippos, crocodiles, elephant and buffalo on river cruises or in nearby Mosi oa Tunya National Park, where you can also find giraffes and track on foot a small, introduced population of white rhinos. Birders, meanwhile, can seek out such local gems as Livingstone’s turaco and rock pratincole among an embarrassment of feathered riches.
Explore Zambia
The Zambia region of Kavango Zambezi includes several national parks and game reserves, such as Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park and Kafue National Park. These parks are home to a variety of wildlife, including elephants, lions, leopards, and wild dogs, as well as numerous bird species.
Find out more about Zambia
Human-Wildlife Conflict in Dambwa South, Livingstone, Zambia
Horse-riding in Simalaha Community Conservancy, Zambia
Kavango Zambezi’s Urban Gem – Livingstone – Zambia
Photo Gallery
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