A Namibian self-drive often ends up pointing at Chobe or Victoria Falls. Taking the car with you is usually possible, but the paperwork starts with the hire company, and the costs at each border differ by country and, as it turns out, by source. Here is what four hire companies say, what you pay at the post, the border hours, and the rules on carrying meat.

Before you leave

Every firm we checked needs to know in advance. African Tracks says “Vehicles may not be taken outside the borders of Namibia without prior written approval of the Lessor.” Savanna Car Hire says you need permission, a letter of authority (LOA), “to take the vehicle across a Botswanan border post”. Forum travellers give the same advice: tell the hire company up front.

• Asco: €38.50 per vehicle (multiple entry) for Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland (Eswatini) and Zimbabwe; €165.00 if Zambia, Malawi or Mozambique is included. “This is a permission letter only. No local border crossing fees or road taxes are included.”
• Kalahari Car Hire: “We do not charge extra for border crossing.” Zambia only as far as Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe up to Victoria Falls or Hwange, and no Angola. Zambia needs a police clearance, about N$1,200, requested at least a week before pickup.
• African Tracks: prior written approval; its insurance covers South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia, and you buy third-party insurance and pay carbon tax at the Zambian or Zimbabwean border.
• Savanna Car Hire: a letter of authority (LOA) for Botswana.

If your company isn’t listed, ask it the same four questions: is there a fee, which countries, how much notice, and does the insurance follow you across. Our guide to car-hire insurance exclusions covers what the cover leaves out at home, too.

At the border, country by country

Published Botswana figures don’t agree. BURS, the Botswana revenue service, gives the road-safety levy as P40.00; a June 2026 guide lists P50 and a hire company’s page lists P20. Use the figures above to budget, and confirm the amounts on the day.

Both countries limit how long the car can stay. BURS says a temporarily imported vehicle may “remain in Botswana for a period not exceeding 14 days” before duties become due. ZIMRA says a visitor’s vehicle must leave Zimbabwe on the first departure or “within three months of their importation”.

Border posts and hours

• Mohembo / Shakawe (Namibia–Botswana): 06:00 to 18:00 in every source we checked.
• Buitepos / Mamuno (Namibia–Botswana, on the Trans-Kalahari route): 07:00 to 24:00, according to BookNamibia.
• Wenela / Sesheke (Katima Mulilo–Zambia): 06:00 to 22:00, according to BookNamibia.
• Ngoma Bridge (Namibia–Botswana, towards Kasane and Chobe): published opening times differ between sources, so confirm them before you plan a late-afternoon crossing.

Hours change, so check them before you set off (BookNamibia, July 2025) and aim to arrive with daylight to spare. Forum travellers report anything from a couple of hours to four-hour queues at busy times. If you are weighing up the two countries, see should I travel to Namibia or Botswana?, and for timing a Chobe visit, the best time to visit Chobe National Park.

Meat and fresh produce

Botswana tightly controls cloven-hoofed animals and their products because of foot-and-mouth disease. In February 2026 the government’s Daily News reported that “Export and transit of cloven-hoofed animals and their fresh products remain prohibited nationwide, except in Zone 2 where export is permitted” (Daily News). Drive South Africa’s advice for travellers is to buy meat and fresh produce locally, at supermarkets in towns such as Gaborone, Maun or Kasane, rather than carrying it in.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take a Namibian hire car into Botswana?

Usually, yes. Most of the Namibian hire firms we checked allow Botswana with permission arranged in advance; Savanna Car Hire calls it a letter of authority. Asco charges €38.50 per vehicle for its letter, and Kalahari Car Hire doesn’t charge extra for border crossing.

Can I drive a Namibian rental car to Victoria Falls?

Often, but check first. Kalahari Car Hire allows Zambia only as far as Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe up to Victoria Falls or Hwange, and needs a police clearance for Zambia. Asco’s letter costs €165.00 once Zambia is included. Expect to buy third-party insurance and pay carbon tax at the Zambian or Zimbabwean border.

Is Zimbabwe difficult with a Namibian rental car?

It means more paperwork and more fees than Botswana. Forum travellers report that most companies permit Botswana but not always Zimbabwe, so confirm with your hire company first. Kalahari Car Hire lists U$120 in Zimbabwe vehicle fees, plus visas.

How much are Botswana border fees for a car?

A June 2026 Drive South Africa guide puts the total at approximately P200 to P400 or more per single entry. Botswana’s revenue service, BURS, gives the road-safety levy itself as P40.00. Figures differ between sources, so confirm on the day.

Can I take a Namibian hire car into Angola?

Not with every company. Kalahari Car Hire, for example, doesn’t allow its vehicles into Angola. Ask your hire company directly before you plan an Angola leg.

Can I take meat into Botswana?

Plan not to. Botswana restricts the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their fresh products, and Drive South Africa advises buying meat and fresh produce at supermarkets in towns such as Gaborone, Maun or Kasane instead.