Sioma Ngwezi National Park

This 5000 square kilometre park in the south western corner of the country has been completely undeveloped and rarely visited until recently. It is surrounded by a 35 000 square kilometre Game Management Area. The Park is unfenced allowing free movement of the animals between the park and the GMA and allowing access to the Zambezi River. The Park and surrounding GMA form an important link in the migratory route of elephants from the bordering national parks of Botswana and Namibia. Although heavily poached, the park does offer a better refuge for elephants migrating from Angola where poaching and illegal hunting is rampant.

There are no permanent facilities and very few roads in the park. Three operators take guided safaris into the park at the moment. Maziba Bay Safaris being the only one with a tented camp there. Alternatively one can take ones own vehicle in but the lack of roads makes this a very difficult undertaking and a guide from the National Parks office in Sioma is highly recommended.

What to See

The park is home to over 3000 elephants, and several endangered species including roan, sable, wild dog and cheetah. Several antelope species are present, but quite shy - mostly puku, impala, roan, sable, zebra and kudu.

Due to the park’s proximity to Angola, it has suffered substantially from poaching during the civil war. However, plans are afoot to open the park to private management and hopefully the park’s wildlife will recover.

Getting there

From Livingstone
There is a brand new road all the way from Livingstone to Sesheke and Katima Mulilo.

From Mongu
There is a good tar road to Senanga and the last opportunity for fuel before Livingstone. Ten kilometres beyond Senanga is the Mangweshi ferry. Somewhat unreliable and pricey. but its the only viable route to Sioma and Katima Mulilo via a fairly good, if somewhat slippery, gravel road.