Moving to Namibia from Botswana
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Botswana to Namibia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Botswana to Namibia.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Botswana to Namibia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Namibia?
Top countries of origin for Namibia's foreign-born residents.
- 40,105
- 15,135
- 9,494
- 8,883
- 4,334
- 3,252
- · · ·
-
17.689
Botswana
Key Indicator Comparison
How Botswana and Namibia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Botswana performs better than Namibia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Namibia performs significantly better than Botswana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Namibia performs significantly better than Botswana across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Botswana generally does better on infrastructure, though Namibia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Botswana generally does better on employment & economy, though Namibia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Namibia generally does better on family life, though Botswana leads in infant mortality.
Data: Botswana Unified Revenue Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Gaborone | Windhoek |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/66°F (31°/19°C) | 84°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 77°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/47°F (26°/8°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) | 87°/61°F (30°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Gaborone | Windhoek |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/67°F (32.5°/19.4°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.7°C) |
| Feb | 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.3°C) | 84°/63°F (28.7°/17.0°C) |
| Mar | 86°/63°F (30.2°/17.4°C) | 81°/61°F (27.4°/15.9°C) |
| Apr | 82°/56°F (27.8°/13.4°C) | 78°/55°F (25.8°/12.9°C) |
| May | 78°/47°F (25.4°/8.3°C) | 74°/50°F (23.4°/9.8°C) |
| Jun | 72°/40°F (22.5°/4.6°C) | 69°/44°F (20.7°/6.9°C) |
| Jul | 73°/40°F (22.8°/4.6°C) | 70°/44°F (21.2°/6.9°C) |
| Aug | 78°/46°F (25.7°/7.6°C) | 75°/48°F (23.8°/8.9°C) |
| Sep | 85°/54°F (29.6°/12.5°C) | 82°/54°F (27.5°/12.4°C) |
| Oct | 88°/61°F (31.0°/16.2°C) | 85°/58°F (29.3°/14.7°C) |
| Nov | 89°/64°F (31.5°/17.9°C) | 86°/61°F (30.2°/16.2°C) |
| Dec | 90°/66°F (32.3°/18.8°C) | 89°/63°F (31.4°/17.2°C) |
Data:
Botswana Meteorological Services,
Namibia Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Botswana and Namibia. To live, work, or study long-term in Namibia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Namibia's immigration authority.
Botswana passport holder visiting Namibia
Visa Free
Namibia passport holder visiting Botswana
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Namibia?
With 3.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Namibia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Botswana and Namibia.
Is Namibia safe for expats?
Botswana performs better than Namibia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Namibia is 12.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 10.6 in Botswana.
How is healthcare in Namibia compared to Botswana?
Namibia performs significantly better than Botswana across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 5.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Namibia, compared to 3.8 in Botswana. Namibia scores 63 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Botswana: 55).
What's the weather like in Namibia compared to Botswana?
The average high temperature in Windhoek is 80°F, compared to 83°F in Gaborone. Windhoek receives around 14.5 in of rainfall per year, while Gaborone gets 21.7 in.
What language do they speak in Namibia?
The official languages in Namibia are Afrikaans, English, German, Herero, Khoekhoe, Kwangali, Lozi, Ndonga and Tswana. In Botswana, the official languages are English and Tswana.
Compare further: Botswana vs. Namibia
At a Glance
BW
|
NA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,384,246 | 2,727,409 |
| Currency | Botswanan Pula (BWP) | Namibian Dollar (NAD) |
| Languages | English, Tswana | Afrikaans, English, German, Herero, Khoekhoe, Kwangali, Lozi, Ndonga, Tswana |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +267 | +264 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 999 | 10111 |