Where 4 countries meet: A step by step guide on visiting the Quadripoint

Ben Crowley

March 5, 2024

Just a note: Saiga Tours doesn’t currently offer trips to Southern Africa, however when we have good travel advice we want to share it, so enjoy!

In the heart of southern Africa, in the middle of the Zambezi River, there is a place where four countries come together. Like anything involving political geography – the Kazungula border is not without controversy.

Many dispute whether the four countries – Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana – actually form a four-way border, or rather two tri-point borders.

Exciting stuff, right?!

Is it really a quadripoint?

The main argument against it being a quadripoint is that Zambia and Botswana claim they share a small border due to changes in the course of the Zambezi river. When the original treaties were signed and the border delineated, references were made to sandbanks which no longer exist and river flows that have since changed. Thus, the very nature of the border has changed.

If the original border treaty was followed to this day, the current eastern limit of Namibia would be inside the border of Zimbabwe, meaning that Zambia and Botswana would no longer share any border, and Namibia has recently gone on to claim this.

History of the quadripoint

The quadripoint came about because of the scramble for Africa. At the time Germany controlled South-West Africa (now Namibia) while the British controlled Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Bechuanaland (now Botswana).

South Africa took control of Namibia during World War I and their official position was that South Africa now shared a border with Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe at this point. The South Africans even sunk the ferry between Zambia and Botswana as well as engaging in the occasional firefight as they refused to accept that Botswana and Zambia had their own individual border.

How to visit

1. Get to Livingstone

The first thing you should do is make your way to Livingstone. This town is famous for being located right next to Victoria Falls. Normally people visiting Livingstone are coming to swim in the Devil’s Pool or Angel’s Pool, and do some zip-lining to nearby Zimbabwe, but it’s also the best launching pad for a visit to the quadripoint.

2. Hire a driver to visit the quadripoint

The quadripoint is located at a town called Kazungula. Kazungula is located roughly 70km west of Livingstone and the drive takes about 1 hour each way. At the time of writing, you could hire a driver in Livingstone for $50-60 USD (1200-1500 Zambian Kwacha) to take you to the border and drive you around for an hour while you are there, so 3 hours essentially. If you are planning on crossing the border to Botswana, we were quoted 800 Kwacha ($33USD) one way.

3. First stop: The old ferry border crossing

Before they built the new bridge, there was an old pontoon ferry which traversed the Zambezi River from Zambia across to Botswana. In 2012 it was announced they would build a bridge, which now means cars and trucks can drive immediately across the Zambezi rather than queuing for hours for the small ferry. From the small port you can get a great view of the bridge as well as the point under the bridge where most argue the quadripoint should be.

4. Second stop: Middle of the Zambia-Botswana bridge

You may have noticed that I’ve written this from the perspective of visiting from Zambia, but aren’t there three other countries that share the same place? Well, the main reason to visit from the Zambian side is this part. The Zambians are very relaxed compared with Botswanans whose border guards often feel the need to exercise their powers as if gaining revenge against an old foe. On the Zambian side they will give you a border pass to enter no-mans land.

In order to do this, you need to enter the immigration hall on the Zambian side. When you ask for a border pass, you’ll be pointed to the window that issues them. Officially it costs 3 Kwacha (roughly 15 US cents) per person to get the border pass, but when we went, they didn’t want the nominal fee (again a win for the relaxed Zambians as opposed to the angry Botswanans).

You will need to write down your name and passport details in a large book and you’ll be given the pass.

Once you’ve received your pass, get your driver to continue to the middle of the bridge. You’ll go through customs who you will show the pass to and explain you’ll be back in 15 minutes. You’ll then need to get the driver to drop you at the halfway point. He will need to continue to the other end of the bridge and immediately turn around, picking you up on the opposite side of the road to where he dropped you off. You’ll have 5 minutes to take some pictures while your driver turns around, and there’s nowhere for cars to pull over, so if you’re not ready to jump back in you’ll cause an international traffic jam.

At this point you are standing right in between 4 countries, the only place in the world where you can do this.

5. Head back to the border post

You will need to head back to the border post and go back inside the immigration hall. You will need to make sure you sign back out, so they don’t think you snuck across the border to Botswana. Once you’ve signed out, you’re free to head back to Livingstone.

And there you've done it - you've visited the only place in the whole entire world where four countries meet!

Photos:

Card on blog page - inside Zambian immigration hall

Banner - the bridge, taken from the old port

Photo 1 - the bridge, taken from the old port (Step 3)

Photo 2 - immigration hall on the Zambian side

Photo 3 - Zambian/Botswanan customs, between immigration and the bridge

Photo 4 - in the middle of the bridge

Photo 5 - the pass that allowed us to do this