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I recently did a solo trip in Namibia and absolutely loved it. I was messaging friends and family, keeping them posted and wanted to do a post on how I was able to travel from South Africa to Namibia because it’s super easy and is really handy to do so if you are trying to keep the costs low and travelling from the UK, US or Canada.
FYI. I think this blog is going to be focusing mainly on my recent travels to the Southern part of Africa for at least another few weeks to months as there is so much to write about and Africa is just such a rich continent that I don’t think one or two posts can cover it.
So with all that being said, if you have any questions, do leave them in the comment section, or DM me via Instagram because after this I’m fully expecting to be on the top pages of all search engines when it comes to traveling to Namibia from South Africa. This first post on my recent Southern Africa trip will be focusing on how I got from South Africa to Namibia and how you can too, should you wish too.
Related post: A 10 Day Solo Travel Guide in South Africa: From Work to Wanderlust.
Why Did I Travel from South Africa to Namibia?
I had been wanting to go to Namibia for the longest time. And I mean the longest. I recall first seeing Lateef Saka years ago there and was instantly interested. When I started looking at flights this year, I was seeing prices of around £990+ from London to Windhoek, and I’m not even sure there was a direct flight for the dates I wanted. And between you and me, it seemed a long way to go indirectly for one country.
Then one day I was browsing on FlyCheaply, which uses SkyScanner and found a flight from London to Johannesburg for just £380 with a four-hour stopover in Algeria. After speaking to a friend who had done a similar route, I decided to book it and gave myself a full eight months to plan the trip.
My flight from Johannesburg to Windhoek with Airlink was under £200, and the journey was less than two hours, so for me it was already making sense. I was going to go from South Africa to Namibia is one trip, and my birthday trip was already feeling golden. And the flight was already way less than the £998 route I was seeing.
Entry Requirements
Before you travel from South Africa to Namibia, I would highly recommend making sure you are fully across the entry requirements for traveling to Namibia from South Africa as they do differ depending on your passport. I had a slight rude awakening as I had some passport drama on this very trip where I found out my passport was technically full despite having three blank pages.
South Africa, Namibia and many other countries require passport holders to have three blank consecutive pages while travelling even if your passport is fully valid! So please check travel requirements from South Africa to Namibia. I have made and dropped clear requirements below for each country but do also check your government website for foreign advice, for British Citizens it’s GOV.UK.
South Africa
For British, American and Canadian passport holders, South Africa is visa-free. However, you will need three consecutive blank pages in your passport, and your passport must have 6 months’ validity. Nigerian passport holders will need a visa in advance. Do check iVisa for other passport holders.
Namibia
You will need a visa for Namibia regardless of where you are coming from in the world (most countries will need a visa). This came into effect in 2025, when countries like the UK, US and Canada now need a visa to enter Namibia. The process is pretty straightforward and easy, and it costs around £74/$90, which you can also pay by card.
The airport staff do give out registration cards on the plane, so make sure you have a pen so that you can easily fill in the form before you land.
How to travel from South Africa to Namibia
You will, of course, first need to get to South Africa from wherever you are coming from. I actually travelled from London to Johannesburg (Joberg) and gave myself a day to be in Joberg before travelling back out to Namibia. I stayed at Onomo Hotel Johannesburg Sandton, which is in Sandton, a very nice area for solo travelling, and the hotel is super affordable for a 4* hotel. Below are some other hotels that you can locate in the same area and you can see how close it is to landmarks like the Nelson Mandela statue:
The hotel has a massive snack section and a restaurant that does local and international food. It is also right by a mall that has lots of restaurants like Nando’s, brunch spots like Ocean Basket, fast food like Dunkin Donuts, KFC, etc., so you are spoilt for choice. You can also go shopping in places like JD Sports, Pandora and many more.
I would highly recommend doing at least a day or two between the two countries and flights in case there are any delays or cancellations, as there were for me. You don’t want to miss your flight; that would be very painful. You can go from South Africa to Namibia both by plane and by driving.
I did a city tour on my day in Joberg that included Soweto and the Apartheid Museum, which I found incredibly fascinating, and I learned a lot about South Africa’s history. You can book the same tour here.
Flying from South Africa to Namibia
To travel from South Africa to Namibia, you can fly into Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport and then take a connecting flight, which you can book separately, to Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport. I flew with Airlink and the flight was under two hours and very straightforward.
Driving from South Africa to Namibia
I didn’t drive myself, but I met several travellers in both Namibia and South Africa who did travel from South Africa to Namibia. If you are coming from Cape Town, you can cross at Vioolsdrif on the N7. However, if you are driving from Johannesburg, the crossing is at Ariamsvlei via Upington. Both border posts are open 24 hours; however, be mindful if you are planning to drive solo to this in the daytime.
The distance from South Africa to Namibia takes approximately 7 to 8 hours after crossing the border if you are going from Cape Town. A few things worth knowing if you are planning to drive (although I would recommend flying):
- You will need an International Driving Permit in case you are stopped.
- Namibia has gravel roads, so check road conditions (the locals call it an African massage lol)
- The South African Rand is accepted at a 1:1 rate in Namibia, so no need for currency exchange however, make sure you do have cash at hand.
- Plan for long distances between towns Swakopmund and Lüderitz are good stops along the way.
- Also get petrol/gas where you can, as the drives are very very long between the next station.
Conclusion: South Africa to Namibia
For me traveling to Namibia from South Africa was and is hands down the most cost-effective and practical way to get to Namibia from the UK, US or Canada. In some cases, I would say it should be the only way you consider going to Namibia because of how infrequent the flights are.
I saved a lot of money on flights, and got to go and see Joberg as a tourist this nice time. And overall, I would say that the journey was surprisingly very easy for me, and I did this solo. If you are considering going to Namibia, I would highly recommend also going to South Africa first, just to make sure you have enough space, blank pages in your passport!
If you have any questions, please do ask away. I will be sharing both my Namibia and South Africa itineraries, so please do subscribe to be the first to read it.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask away.
Speak soon,
MBV x
