How safe is Namibia for travelers?

No advisory, but not no risk

• The FCDO advises against travel to no part of Namibia. Its guide was still current at 10 September 2026 and was last updated on 10 December 2025.
• Global Affairs Canada advises a high degree of caution throughout the country because of crime. That is the gap between the two governments, and crime is the reason for it.
• There is no recent history of terrorism in Namibia.

Windhoek: mugging and vehicle crime

• Muggers often target tourists in Windhoek. Attacks may be violent, and they happen at any time of day, including in busy city-centre locations. That is unusually blunt language from the FCDO.
• Gangs sometimes try to enter vehicles at busy intersections. Keep the doors locked and the windows shut in traffic, and keep valuables off the seats.
• Theft from vehicles at service stations is common. Do not leave the car unattended while you pay or while it is being filled.
• Do not walk outside after dark, avoid isolated areas, and do not enter townships at night unless you are with someone with local knowledge.
• Carry photo ID at all times. You may be asked for it at police checkpoints in Windhoek and other towns, and mobile checkpoints on the highways are common. Keep a copy of the passport photo page somewhere else.

The roads are the real hazard

• Fatal accidents are common and are often about speed on gravel. Tourists are frequently involved in single-vehicle accidents, which are the ones most standard rental policies do not cover.
• Check the insurance before you sign. Most policies exclude accidents that do not involve another vehicle or an animal. Buy comprehensive cover, and read what it excludes rather than what it promises.
• Get an International Driving Permit before you leave home. It cannot be obtained in Namibia, and without one it can be extremely difficult to get rental insurance to pay out, even where nobody asked to see it at the counter.
• Do not exceed 80 km/h on gravel, and carry two spare tyres, plenty of water, food and fuel.
• Do not drive at night outside towns. Wildlife and livestock on the road are a serious hazard, lighting is absent and many vehicles run without headlights.
• Gravel roads deteriorate in the rains, from January to April in the FCDO's account and November to March in Canada's. Check whether the route is passable before setting off.
• In remote areas, travel in daylight, in a convoy of two vehicles where you can, and carry a satellite phone or a GPS. Emergency and roadside assistance is unreliable or non-existent outside Windhoek.
• Save 9682, the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund's toll free accident response number, before you drive anywhere. The Fund runs it specifically so that crashes get an emergency response.
• The alcohol limit is 0.079% and penalties for drink-driving are severe. A driver in a fatal accident can face a homicide charge.

Borders, mines and the bush

• Exercise particular caution along the Namibia to Angola border, where Canada cites banditry and poachers and notes that the border is not always clearly marked.
• Residual landmines and unexploded ordnance may remain between Katwitwi and Kongola, in Kavango West and the Zambezi Region. Stay on paved and main roads and obey mine warning signs.
• Desert expeditions kill people who go alone. Trails are usually unmarked. Take an experienced guide, a 4x4, far more water than you think, and insurance that covers helicopter rescue and medical evacuation.
• Keep your distance from wildlife, including in camps, where animals wander in. Baboons in particular will confront people for food. Only leave the vehicle when a guide or warden says you may.
• Veld fires spread at 60 km/h or more in the dry season. Check conditions locally before a bush walk.

Laws that catch visitors out

• Penalties for drugs are severe, including long prison sentences.
• It is illegal to buy, sell or trade any protected wild animal or its parts without a licence, ivory and rhino horn included, and exports of minerals, diamonds and cultural items are strictly regulated.
• Do not photograph the President's residence, government buildings, military sites, airports or harbours. People have been detained for it.
• A drone needs a permit from the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority to be imported or flown, and approval can take several weeks.
• Drought restrictions on water use carry fines. Water is genuinely scarce and the rules are enforced.

LGBT+ travellers

• Same-sex relationships are not illegal in Namibia, and there are no laws against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. Certain same-sex sexual acts remain illegal but are generally not prosecuted, and Canada notes that the current legal position is under judicial challenge and could be reversed.
• Attitudes are conservative, especially in rural areas, and public affection may attract unwanted attention.

Women travelling alone

• Women travelling alone may face harassment or verbal abuse. The general advice about not walking after dark and not hailing street taxis applies with more force.