On our recent trip with Larkin's parents to Victoria Falls, we went to Zambia. To get to Victoria Falls, you can either select the Zambia side or the Zimbabwe side. Due to the unrest and such in Zimbabwe, we (along with most people these days--tourism is booming in Livingstone) selected Zambia.
I thought I'd share a bit about the boarder crossing into Zambia from Botswana. I highly discourage anyone from going across at the same place we crossed. We crossed at the Kazungula Ferry crossing, near Kasane, Botswana. For people coming across the Caprivi Strip in Namibia, headed for Zambia, there is now a nice bridge outside of Katima Mulilo, Namibia, which makes the crossing somewhat easier and about US$20 cheaper (no ferry fee).
Here is how it worked. We woke up at a decent hour, and got on the road so that we were to the ferry by 8:30 am. There were actually not too many cars in line. Huge number of trucks waiting to cross, but they are in a separate line. We went through the Botswana "departure" terminal quickly, and obtained our "temporary export permit" for the vehicle (free of charge). Botswana knows that Zambia requires this document. It is essentially a permit form that allows you to take a vehicle from Botswana to Zambia on a temporary basis.
Then, the fun began. When we arrived at the banks of the Zambezi River to catch the ferry, and herd of young men waved us into a line. One guy, named David, came up and told me, "Boss, I will be taking care of you." He said we could discuss he fee once we reached the other side of the river. I asked him what his fee was, and we agreed I would pay him 50 Rand, or about US$7. I had been told to ask for help getting on the ferry, as the ferry just comes to the side of the river and off-loads onto the sand. In a different place each time.
Then, another guy comes up and tells us we need reflector stickers for the vehicle. I had seen information about this, but thought our vehicle was correctly outfitted with reflectors. It turned out it was, but he told us it was not. So, for 150 Rand (about US$20), I bought stickers. He told me it would be 50 Rand, and after the 4 stickers were on the car, he told me that was 50 Rand for each sticker. OK, get away, and here is your money.
While we are waiting, other people come up to sell us some Zimbabwean dollars for souvenirs. We bought a 50 trillion dollar note for US$10 just for fun. Other people came up to trade Zambian Kwacha money with us, to prepare us for expenses on the Zambian side. We had Kwacha, and knew the rate was poor, so we declined. They were offering 4000 Kwacha per US dollar, and the rate at the bank to purchase Kwacha was 5000:1.
At one point, we had to back up the vehicle as the ferry changed positions when the sand bank started caving in. It was nice to have David waving other cars back--all the 'agents' were doing a good job keeping the proper order of the line, and it was a fair process.
We got on the ferry, and David explained he would come with us to help pay fees on the other side. OK, sounds fine. The ferry ride was mostly uneventful--just fun loading from a sandy shoreline onto a ferry with an expensive rental vehicle. Good thing we had those new reflector stickers...
We got to the other side and parked the car. David told us he would pay for the ferry and council tax and arrange third party insurance. We had read about all these fees ahead of time, and knew they were legitimate, so we stood in line to get our visas and vehicle permits. In the end, here is what it took to get into Zambia:
Zambian visas: for a one-time entry, people from the US pay US$50/person. So, that was $250 for our group of 5. If you want to go into Zambia, go back out, and come back in, they charge $80/person. Only country I've ever seen that charges to enter. But, this line was fast, and we got our visas fairly quickly.
Vehicle entry permit: I stood in line for 2 hours to get this permit. It consisted of a permit to allow the vehicle into the country. Where Namibia and Botswana just have you sign a book with your registration number, engine number, and chassis number (which is odd in itself, but doable with the information we had from the rental place), Zambia requires a special permit. A guy would take our paper work and passport, and leave the window to go to another building to use the computer to enter the information. He took 2 people's information at a time, and took 25 minutes each time he left. Enough said. That was the horrible line, but this permit was free. Best deal of the day!
Carbon tax: after getting the vehicle permit, I had to go pay carbon tax. The tax is based on the size of your engine. I told the lady I had a 1.9L engine and she told me I owed twice as much as the sign indicated. Guys behind me helped protest, and she quickly agreed. It was 100,000 Kwacha (and I had to pay in Kwacha), which is US$20. Be sure you have Kwacha before coming to the border, or you will pay through the nose to get some Kwacha from guys outside. Funny thing is that all signs around the offices say "No agents should be involved." But, everyone knows the system relies on these 'agents'.
Road toll: US$20. Fast line. Fun guy at the window. Over and done with quickly.
Council tax: the local board that governs the communal area we drove through after leaving the ferry has gotten in on the action, and David used his own Kwacha to pay this (and later charged me using the poor exchange rate). It was another US$20.
Third-party insurance: Zambia requires all vehicles entering the country to have this insurance. Even if you have personal insurance and insurance through your rental agency. This is the real scam, and I'm fairly convinced these 'agents' actually work for the insurance companies, as there are several companies lining the shore of the river near the Customs Office. David bought the insurance, and I have no idea how much insurance he actually bought or what really would have happened if we had an accident. But, we paid 112,000 Kwacha, or a little over US$20 for this insurance.
Ferry toll: David paid this while I stood in the vehicle permit line. It was US$20 (see a trend here?!), with US$2/person for passengers.
When we were done, David and his 'boss' came over to the car and started the hard sell. "Hope you liked my service, boss." I convinced them I knew the exchange rate for Kwacha to US dollar, and they lowered their price for all the fees David had paid. But, suddenly his rate went from about US$7 (as he told us on the other side of the river) to about $70. I ended up paying him about US$30 for his services. He was helpful, but I just dislike the way these guys do business.
So, we entered Zambia with a bad taste in our mouth, some new reflectors, and about $350 less in our pockets. Wonder how long Zambia can keep this up and still keep tourists coming? But, this was Africa at its finest--as we had expected when we came over. Glad it took 6 months to find that side of things...
When we came back the next day, to go back to Botswana, we only had to pay the Council Tax (another $20) and the ferry fee. Another agent came up and offered to pay the ferry fee with his own money, but I sent Dad to pay it.
If a person knows what fees must be paid, the agent is not necessary. But, it is helpful to have some guidance getting on the ferry!
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