Moving to Zambia from Namibia

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Namibia to Zambia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Namibia to Zambia.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Namibia to Zambia, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
774 ↑ 40% vs 2015

people born in Namibia live in Zambia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Zambia?

Top countries of origin for Zambia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Namibia and Zambia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NA
12.4
ZM
5.2
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NA
22.0
ZM
17.1

Zambia performs significantly better than Namibia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

NA
$1,068
ZM
$244
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

NA
5.4
ZM
2.6

Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Namibia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

NA
43.0
ZM
50.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NA
1.2t
ZM
0.5t

Namibia generally does better on environment, though Zambia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NA
3.9
ZM
0.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NA
0.9%
ZM
2.8%

Namibia performs better than Zambia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

NA
19.4%
ZM
5.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

NA
$11,500
ZM
$3,700

Namibia generally does better on employment & economy, though Zambia leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

NA
66.5 yrs
ZM
66.3 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NA
29.4
ZM
37.1

Namibia performs better than Zambia across all family life metrics.

Data: Inland Revenue Department, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Windhoek Rain: 14.5 in/yr (368 mm)
80° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Lusaka Rain: 31.4 in/yr (798 mm)
80° / 59°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Windhoek Lusaka
Jan–Mar 84°/63°F (29°/17°C) 80°/62°F (27°/17°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) 77°/55°F (25°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 76°/49°F (24°/9°C) 79°/55°F (26°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/61°F (30°/16°C) 85°/64°F (29°/18°C)
View all months
Month Windhoek Lusaka
Jan 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.7°C) 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C)
Feb 84°/63°F (28.7°/17.0°C) 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C)
Mar 81°/61°F (27.4°/15.9°C) 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C)
Apr 78°/55°F (25.8°/12.9°C) 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C)
May 74°/50°F (23.4°/9.8°C) 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C)
Jun 69°/44°F (20.7°/6.9°C) 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C)
Jul 70°/44°F (21.2°/6.9°C) 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C)
Aug 75°/48°F (23.8°/8.9°C) 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C)
Sep 82°/54°F (27.5°/12.4°C) 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C)
Oct 85°/58°F (29.3°/14.7°C) 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C)
Nov 86°/61°F (30.2°/16.2°C) 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C)
Dec 89°/63°F (31.4°/17.2°C) 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C)

Data: Namibia Meteorological Service Namibia Meteorological Service, Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD)

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Namibia and Zambia. To live, work, or study long-term in Zambia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Zambia's immigration authority.

Namibia passport

Namibia passport holder visiting Zambia

Visa Free
Namibia passport holders can enter Zambia without a visa.
Zambia passport

Zambia passport holder visiting Namibia

Visa Free
Zambia passport holders can enter Namibia without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Zambia?

With 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Zambia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Namibia and Zambia.

Is Zambia safe for expats?

Zambia performs significantly better than Namibia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zambia is 5.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 12.4 in Namibia.

How is healthcare in Zambia compared to Namibia?

Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Namibia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Zambia, compared to 5.4 in Namibia. Zambia scores 56 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Namibia: 63).

What's the weather like in Zambia compared to Namibia?

The average high temperature in Lusaka is 80°F, compared to 80°F in Windhoek. Lusaka receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Windhoek gets 14.5 in.

What language do they speak in Zambia?

The official language in Zambia is English. In Namibia, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, German, Herero, Khoekhoe, Kwangali, Lozi, Ndonga and Tswana.

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At a Glance

NA ZM
Population 2,727,409 19,642,123
Currency Namibian Dollar (NAD) Zambian Kwacha (ZMW)
Languages Afrikaans, English, German, Herero, Khoekhoe, Kwangali, Lozi, Ndonga, Tswana English
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +264 +260
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 10111