Namibia Botswana
Namibia 
BotswanaLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
Namibia and Botswana share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Botswana
- Drive on the left.
- Wildlife on roads, especially at night.
- 0.08% alcohol limit.
- Long distances between fuel stops.
What to see when you arrive in Botswana
- the Okavango Delta
- the Chobe National Park
- the Makgadikgadi salt pans
- the Central Kalahari Game Reserve
- the Tsodilo Hills
Once you're driving in Botswana
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
Visitors may drive on a valid foreign licence (English, or with a certified English translation/IDP) for up to 90 days before conversion is required; SADC-issued licences are exempt. Always carry the national licence plus IDP together, as the IDP alone is not valid.
Tolls & road charges
Botswana currently has no national toll-road network or electronic toll tags; main highways such as the A1 (Gaborone–Francistown) are free to use. The main border-crossing cost travellers meet is the road-safety/permit levy paid on entering with a foreign-registered vehicle.
Parking in the cities
Gaborone uses paid, attended parking bays in the central business district and around malls, typically paid in cash pula to a marshal or meter, with marked disc/time limits. Illegally parked or abandoned vehicles can be clamped or towed by the city council.
Fines & camera enforcement
Speeding and other offences draw on-the-spot fines payable in pula, and allowing cattle to stray onto the road reserve carries fines of roughly P2,000–P5,000. Handheld phone use while driving is prohibited; rental firms recover camera and unpaid-fine charges from the card on file.
If you have an accident
By law you must stop, not move the vehicles, and report any accident to the police; the emergency number is 999 (or 997 for ambulance). A police report is required for insurance and rental claims, and you should exchange details and photograph the scene before moving anything.
Driving in the capital
Beyond Gaborone the country-defining driving quirk is straying cattle, donkeys and wildlife on open highways - hitting livestock can make you liable, and animal-related crashes are a leading cause of fatalities, so never drive these roads at night. Expect to stop at veterinary cordon fences where raw meat and sometimes dairy are confiscated.
Sources: gov.bw · landrovingafrica.com · earthtrekkers.com · tyremap.com