Katima Mulilo lies on the Zambezi at the far eastern end of the Caprivi Strip and is the capital of the Zambezi Region. It is 517 kilometres from Rundu on the B8 and about 1,200 from Windhoek. This is where Namibia ends: Zambia is across the bridge, Botswana 71 kilometres away at the Ngoma border. At the 2023 census the town had 46,401 residents.
- residents, 2023 census
- 46,401
- to Windhoek via Rundu
- 1,202 km
- to Kasane in Botswana
- 125 km
- border to Zambia open, since August 2023
- 24 h
The name comes from Silozi and is linked to the rapids on the Zambezi. It is usually translated as "quench the fire". Barge crews on the river are said to have put out their fires here and lit them again afterwards. The town dates its founding to 28 January 1935, when the administration moved here from Schuckmannsburg. It only became a town officially on 2 October 1999.
Right on the river are the Protea Hotel Zambezi River Lodge on the edge of town and the Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge. Simpler options include Kololo Guesthouse and Thetu Campsite. Further out are Zambezi Mubala Lodge and Caprivi Mutoya Lodge, both with campsites.
Borders with Zambia and Botswana
The bridge to Sesheke in Zambia opened in 2004. It completed the Trans-Caprivi Corridor linking Zambia's Copperbelt with the port of Walvis Bay, which is why you share the road with plenty of trucks. The border post was long known as Wenela and is being renamed Katima Mulilo, so expect both names. Since August 2023 it has been open around the clock, the news agency NAMPA reported in February 2025. Older listings still give 6 am to 6 pm.
For Botswana you head to Bukalo, 40 kilometres east, where the road to Ngoma branches off. It is 71 kilometres to the Ngoma border and 125 to Kasane. Botswana's immigration department gives Ngoma's hours as 7 am to 6 pm, while the broadcaster NBC says it opens at six. From Kasane it is another 95 kilometres to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
Every border crossing needs your rental company's permission and a cross-border permit, applied for several days ahead. With Britz it costs N$ 1,000 per rental (as of October 2026).
On the river and in town
Katima Mulilo does not have a long list of sights, and it does not need one. Birds and monkeys along the river. The market, meanwhile, is said to be the largest open market anywhere in Namibia, so it is worth a wander. And there is a toilet built into a baobab, the Toilet Tree. A sight of its own kind.
The airport is 18 kilometres southwest of town, with regular flights from Windhoek.
Malaria and the rainy season
In 2026 the Zambezi Region was the centre of Namibia's malaria outbreak. By the end of March the German travel medicine centre CRM had counted more than 10,000 cases there. According to the German Foreign Office, the risk here is high all year. See a doctor before you travel, and protect yourself against mosquitoes by the river in the evening.
Most rain falls from November to March, and the dry season runs from April to October. Annual totals of 654 and 682 millimetres are both quoted; in southwestern Namibia it is 10 to 50.
Today, as of Katima Mulilo has more than doubled since 2001, from 22,134 to 46,401 residents at the 2023 census. The border post to Zambia has been open around the clock since August 2023. And if you are heading on to Livingstone in Zambia, since May 2021 you cross on the Kazungula Bridge between Botswana and Zambia instead of taking the ferry.
- Time needed
- one or two nights on the river before carrying on to Botswana or Zambia
- From Windhoek
- 1,202 km, 935 minutes
Our tipSet off early on border day. Media report delays at Ngoma because of staff shortages, and you should not be driving between towns after sunset anyway.
Places to stay in Katima Mulilo and Zambezi
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Zambezi Mubala Lodge
Off The D3508 Kalimbeza Road
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
- Parking
from €104per night on 17 July 2027
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Caprivi Mutoya Lodge And Campsite
Kalimbeza Road
- Pool
- Spa
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
from €100per night on 18 November 2026
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Caprivi Houseboat Safari Lodge
Hippo Road
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
from €74per night on 23 November 2026
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Protea Hotel by Marriott Zambezi River Lodge
Ngoma Road
- Pool
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
- Parking
from €80per night on 1 January 2027
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Thetu Campsite
thetucampsite@gmail.com Zambezi region, Kongola
- Kitchen
- Parking
from €16per night on 17 July 2027
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Kololo Guesthouse
Plot 567
- Restaurant
- Kitchen
- Parking
- Air conditioning
from €31per night on 23 November 2026
Check prices on trivagoKatima Mulilo and Zambezi: frequently asked questions
What does the name Katima Mulilo mean?
Katima Mulilo comes from Silozi and is translated as "quench the fire". The name is linked to the Zambezi rapids, where barge crews are said to have put out their fires.
Is the border between Katima Mulilo and Zambia open at night?
The Katima Mulilo border post, formerly Wenela, at the bridge to Sesheke has been open around the clock since August 2023, according to the news agency NAMPA. Older sources still give daytime hours only.
How high is the malaria risk in Katima Mulilo?
Katima Mulilo is in the Zambezi Region, where the German Foreign Office rates the malaria risk as high all year. In 2026 the region was a hotspot of the outbreak, with more than 10,000 cases by the end of March.
How do you get from Katima Mulilo to Victoria Falls?
From Katima Mulilo you cross into Botswana at Ngoma and drive to Kasane, 125 kilometres in all, and from there 95 kilometres to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. You need your rental company's permission for both borders.