Namibia is 824,000 square kilometres with about 2.6 million inhabitants, one of the lowest population densities on earth. It is politically stable, low in crime by regional standards, and organised around self-drive tourism. The main risk on a Namibian holiday is the driving.
Gravel roads
Roughly 85 percent of the network is gravel, and it is generally well graded. The danger is that it feels fast and is not: loose surface on a crowned road gives almost no lateral grip, and the standard accident is a rollover after a driver over-corrects at 100 km/h. Keep to 80, slow further on corrugation and in curves, brake before bends rather than in them, and never swerve for an animal. Reduce tyre pressure slightly on long gravel sections and carry two spares — punctures are routine, not exceptional.
Vehicles
A two-wheel drive with clearance covers the main circuit including Sossusvlei to the 2x4 car park, Etosha and Damaraland in the dry season. A four-wheel drive is needed for the last stretch to Sossusvlei, Kaokoland, Nkasa Rupara and any wet-season travel in the north-east. Rooftop tent rentals are the standard camping arrangement. Take the full insurance waiver: gravel damage and tyres are the most common claims and are often excluded.
Distances and fuel
Plan 300 to 400 km a day and no more. Fuel stations can be 200 km apart and some are cash only or out of stock; fill whenever you pass one below half a tank and carry a jerrycan for the north-west. Do not drive after dark: kudu, warthog and cattle on unfenced roads cause serious accidents every year.
Water and supplies
Carry at least five litres of water per person per day in the vehicle, independent of what you plan to drink. Buy food in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Otjiwarongo or Tsumeb; shops beyond these are small. A cooler box is standard equipment.
Money and connectivity
The Namibian dollar is pegged one to one with the South African rand, and rand is accepted everywhere. Cards work in towns; carry cash for community campsites, park entry at some gates and fuel in remote areas. MTC coverage follows the main roads and disappears entirely in Kaokoland and parts of the Skeleton Coast. A satellite communicator is a reasonable precaution for remote routes.
Health and safety
Malaria risk exists in the north, chiefly the Zambezi Region and Kavango, and mainly in the wet season; the desert, the coast and the south are malaria free. The sun is severe at altitude and in dry air. Emergency medical evacuation insurance matters more here than in most destinations, because distances to a hospital are measured in hours.