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Zambia Kwacha
Zambia uses Zambian kwacha the as its official currency. Each kwacha is then further divided into 100 ngwee. However this is a theoretical division, since there are no ngwees issued as coins or notes.
The Bank of Zambia issues the kwacha and it is issued as notes only, there are no coins issued for this currency. The notes are in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000, 20 000 and 50,000 notes.
Internally the kwacha is denoted by the letters ZK, so something that costs 1 kwacha, will be written as ZK 1. On the international scene, the kwacha is identified by the letters ZMK.
History of the Zambian Kwacha
The Zambian kwacha was first brought in to replace the Zambian pound. The pound had been in use, due to the British influence in Zambia. But in 1968, the kwacha became the symbol for Zambia as an official country in its own right and the kwacha was also a word that had been carefully chosen, because it actually means dawn in the native language, so it was a symbol of a new dawn, for the new independent country.
The kwacha has not been without its troubles though and it has effectively been devalued over the years. Originally it was worth 1.2 US dollars, back in 1968 when it was introduced, but now it takes 4800 kwacha notes to be able to buy just one US dollar.
Getting Hold of Zambian Kwacha
Theoretically, it should be quite easy to get hold of Zambian kwacha, due to the fact that there are a lot of ATM facilities in Zambia and nearly all of the big towns and cities will have some ATMs. The bad news is that they often do not work!
Many ATMs (if they are working) will only accept Visa cards, so make sure that you have at least one visa card with you. In addition, you can use your credit or debit card in some of the more expensive hotels and restaurants, or if you are booking a safari. Just be aware that you will be charged some kind of commission rate which is usually in the region of 5-10%.
But it is far better not to assume that you will simply be able to use credit cards in all parts of the country, since you may well be able to use them in Lusaka, the capital, but it will be more difficult in other parts of the country. Credit cards are becoming ever more popular, but they are still not in widespread use, but it is on the rise.
Traveller's cheques are also, unfortunately a bit of a waste of time. If you are lucky, then you may get a bank in Lusaka to exchange them, but this is not a given. Outside of Lusaka it is practically impossible to exchange them. Then you have the time factor to consider, the whole process will take at least a couple of hours and will seem like an eternity and you will only be able to exchange American Express cheques and finally, you will be charged a high commission fee for the privilege of having your cheques cashed. Oh and you need to make sure that you take them in the form of US dollars, since this makes the process easier. Otherwise, it could take up most of a morning. If you are the type of person who gets irate if you have to wait in your bank for a couple of minutes, then exchanging traveller's cheques in Zambia will test your patience to its limits and even beyond that, even though that isn't possible, it will feel like you are beyond your limit of patience!
Ok, so the next logical thing to look at is taking money into Zambia. How easy is to change money in Zambia? Yes you guessed it, it isn't actually all that easy. For a start make sure that you have US dollars. Euros are actually quite difficult to exchange, particularly outside of Lusaka and you may find that even if you can find someone to change them for you they will give you a really poor exchange rate, which could be around 20% less than the official exchange rate. So you will get a better rate with US dollars. But the bad news is, that this is Zambia and not all US dollars will be accepted.
Take new US dollars to Zambia to change. Do not take old notes. Next take notes that are bigger in the sense of $50 or $100. If you take in say $10 or $20 then you will find that the exchange rate is poorer. Finally, you will also find that banks and bureaux de change will only change $1000 per day. So if you are buying something big, then you will need to make a couple of trips to the bank.
But the reality is that if you are buying something big, then you will probably be able to pay for it in US dollars. This is illegal, but the reality is that most people will accept US dollars, but you will probably be stung by a poor exchange rate, but then if you are desperate, then you will probably just be glad that you are able to carry out the transaction.
Safety Issues
There are not too many problems in Zambia with regard to security. If you are travelling around by car then you should have the doors locked at all times and the windows closed as well (if it is hot, use the air conditioning). This will keep you safe from car jackers, since this is the main form of crime, particularly in Lusaka as well as Livingstone.
Pickpockets do operate in some of the more crowded areas so be vigilant when out and about in crowded places, such as public transport points or in markets. It is always better to be safe, rather than sorry, so just keep your guard up.
Walking round alone at night is not a good idea and women should be aware of the fact that if you go into a bar alone at night, men will assume that you are there for one thing only and so they think that you are asking to have sex. Whilst this may be very offensive to many Europeans etc, it is part of their culture, so you should be aware of it.
Out and About in Zambia
The moment anyone mentions Zambia, people think of Victoria Falls, which are one of the world's biggest waterfalls. Ok they may not be the tallest, but they are twice as big as dear old Niagara Falls. That's right, twice as big, so these guys deserve their name, which actually means the 'Smoke that thunders'.
You can either look at the Falls from the Zambian side or the Zimbabwean side, but the choice is yours, from either side these are pretty impressive, although to be fair, they are better seen from Zimbabwe, but they are still a great sight, from either side.
But there are other things to see and do in Zambia and who could come to Southern Africa and not take part in seeing the wildlife? Yes, the wildlife in Zambia is everything that you would expect from this kind of country. Indeed the amount of wildlife is simply too numerous to mention, it is almost an endless list. Hippos, monkeys, lizards, leopards, lions, wildebeest, buffalo and bush babies are just a small fraction of what you can expect to see in Zambia and there are various national parks, where you can see them all, in all their natural splendour.
But for many people the animals are an interesting side show, but what they are after is seeing some of the amazing trees, birds, flowers and vegetation. These often flourish in the national parks because they have adequate rain to nourish and protect the trees, so they are not deprived of nutrients. Some of the specimens to be seen are incredibly large and they are incredibly beautiful and somehow belie the myth of trees in Africa being kind of spindly due to the heat and lack of water. Many are very lush and very green.
People who have been to other African countries as well as Zambia, usually say that the best safaris are actually in Zambia, simply because the environment is so hospitable and the animals are so varied as well and you can see them relatively close up (safety permitting).
However, one downside to Zambia is that although it is a developing country and although many of the people live in poverty, it is not as cheap as you may imagine, the costs soon go up and you can find that the cost of safaris is anything but cheap, but do not come to Zambia and not find the time or money to go on safari, it really is a great experience and one that will live with you for some time, in fact probably forever.
Overview
Zambia is a lovely country and one that is so much more peaceful and safer than its neighbours which makes it an ideal destination to experience Africa face to face. Many of the tourist facilities that you would expect to find in a destination like this are now starting to appear and you can even get Western style 'fast' food, although whether this is a good thing is yet to be seen.
Overall, the people are warm and welcoming and have a real laid back African take on life, and a real sense of fun at times, even if you don't at first pick up on the fact that the locals are playing with you!
Despite the fact that AIDS has basically destroyed many of the people who could and should be economically active, Zambia seems to have an optimism that could teach many Westerners a thing or two.
If you are interested in finding out more about Zambia, then check out a website such as http://zambiatourism.com. Ok it is about encouraging you to go there, so it may not be wholly objective, but it does show some great photos of Zambia in all her African glory.
Comment
Hi, I’m in the UK now and I have some Zambian kwacha worth about £200 in cash and none of the forex or banks or travel agents will take it. How can I get this in pounds?
— Abz · Jun 26, 09:53 AM · #
Have you tried online currency converter places? I’m not sure if any of the online services will take it or not, but some company or provider must do. Otherwise we’d never get any cash back for the currencies we use while abroad. Who did you get it changed up with in the first place? Perhaps they would be your best bet. Did you visit Victoria Falls while you were there? I would love to see them.
— Ian · Jan 31, 01:22 PM · #