Namibia Travel Safety Guide

There is no recent history of terrorism in Namibia and no region of the country that the Foreign Office singles out for special advice. It does not publish a regional risks page for Namibia at all. What it does publish is specific, and the specifics are concentrated in one city and on one kind of road.

Windhoek

Muggers often target tourists in Windhoek. Attacks may be violent, and they can happen at any time of day and in busy city center locations, which is the part that catches people out: this is not only a night time problem in quiet streets.

Be aware of your surroundings, especially after dark. Keep valuables and cash out of sight or in a hotel safe. Do not change large sums of money in busy public areas.

Gangs sometimes try to enter vehicles at busy intersections. Keep doors locked and windows shut in heavy traffic and keep valuables off the seats. Theft from vehicles is common at service stations, so do not leave your vehicle unattended at fuel stops.

Do not hail taxis from the street. Do not enter townships at night unless you are with someone who has local knowledge.

The road, which is the larger risk

For most visitors the realistic danger in Namibia is not crime. Accidents are common on gravel and dirt roads, wildlife and livestock are serious hazards after dark outside the towns, and the eighty kilometer limit on gravel exists because the surface stops gripping with very little warning.

The transport guide covers this properly, including the insurance exclusion that turns a single vehicle rollover into a bill. If you read only one of these two pages before driving, read that one.

Laws, and a position that is genuinely its own

Always carry photo identification. You may be asked for it at police checkpoints in Windhoek and other major towns.

On LGBT visitors, Namibia sits between its neighbors and the detail matters. Same sex relationships are not illegal. Certain same sex sexual acts remain illegal but are generally not prosecuted. There are no laws against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Conservative attitudes remain, especially in rural regions, and public affection may attract unwanted attention. That is four separate facts and a reader is owed all four rather than a summary.

Penalties for using or smuggling illegal drugs are severe and include large fines and imprisonment. Trading protected wildlife or its parts, including ivory and rhino horn, is prosecuted. Police have detained people for photographing the President’s official residence, so check before photographing government buildings or anything in a secure area.

Adventure activities and insurance

Quad biking, dune boarding, sandboarding, skydiving over the Skeleton Coast and hot air ballooning are all on offer here and are all things a standard travel policy may exclude. Check that yours names the activity.

The medical side matters more here than the wording suggests. Facilities are good in Windhoek. Private hospitals may insist on payment before starting treatment even if you hold comprehensive insurance, and may ask you to pay and reclaim later. Some policies are not recognized by some Namibian hospitals at all. Check that your specific product is accepted in Namibia before you travel, and arrange alternative cover if it is not.

Namibia has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world: UNAIDS estimated around 210,000 adults aged fifteen and over living with HIV in 2021, about 11.8 percent of the adult population. Take the ordinary precautions.