There are 13 regions in Namibia, but of these onlythe Caprivi boasts 6 ethnic tribes – Subia, Yeyi, Mafwe, San, Tortela and Mbukushu. Amazingly, they have adapted a Zambian language – Lozi – as a common medium of communication. The Caprivi is also the only region that shares its borders with 4 other countries – Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, all members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The Caprivi regional capital is the town of Katima Mulilo, which is located on the Zambezi River. There are no other major towns in the area, although it is fairly densely populated and travellers will encounter numerous villages.

Another huge drawcard is that the Caprivi is surrounded by 4 perennial rivers – Chobe, Kwando, Linyanti and the mighty Zambezi! For years this area was the domain of the South African Army – wildlife suffered as a result- but with soldiers long gone, wildlife populations have recovered. These waterfront areas combine riverine forests with vast wetlands, attracting over 600 species of bird, 4 of the big 5 (less rhino) as well as boasting 4 National Parks – Bwabwata, Mamili, Mudumu and Mahango. Nearly 200 kinds of flora, shrubs, trees and fruits, complement the wildlife and amazing geography.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise looking at a map, to learn that the Caprivi Region has a unique history. Until the end of the 19th Century it was known as Itenge and was under the rule of the Lozi Kings. In the late 1800's the strip of land was administered as part of the British protectorate of Bechuanaland (Botswana) until 1890 when Germany laid claim to the British administered island of Zanzibar, to which Britain objected. The dispute was settled by the Berlin Conference in 1890, when Queen Victoria waved her magic wand and acquired Zanzibar, and Germany settled for the territory which became known as the Caprivi Strip; named after German Chancellor, General Count Georg Leo von Caprivi di Caprara di Montecuccoli. (He was great in Titanic with Kate Winslett!)

The German motivation behind the swap was to acquire a strip of land linking German South-West Africa with the Zambezi River, thus providing easy access to Tanganyika (Tanzania) and ultimately the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately for the Germans, the British colonization of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe and Zambia) stopped them well upstream of Victoria Falls, which proved a considerable barrier to navigation on the Zambezi. (Not the old British colonial treaty chestnut again!) During WWI the Caprivi Strip again came under British rule and was governed as part of Bechuanaland, but it received little attention and became known as a lawless frontier. (Reputations can be hard to shake off!) Nowadays most people who live in the Caprivi, survive as subsistence farmers, who make their living on the banks of the Zambezi, Kwando, Linyati and Chobe Rivers.

For those arriving in Victoria Falls it is worth considering car hire in Zimbabwe as this makes travelling around the country much easier.

Accommodation in Namibia