On Our Radar
What has opened, what has changed, and what is worth knowing before you go.
The region in brief
04
Zimbabwe / Zambia
Victoria Falls in Low Water: Rafting, Devil’s Pool and the Gorge
This was a big year on the Zambezi. The river ran well above last year's levels through the first half of 2026, and at peak flow in April and May the falls' entire 1.7 kilometre width thundered at capacity, with a spray column visible from fifty kilometres away. Those who stood at the viewpoints then were drenched, deafened and could see almost nothing clearly. It was magnificent. Now comes the other Victoria Falls. The river is falling steadily, and August opens the low water season, when the curtain thins and the geology of the gorge reveals itself. This is when the falls become an adventure rather than a spectacle. White water rafting resumes its full run of rapids from August, Devil's Pool on Livingstone Island reopens from mid August as currents ease, and the exposed channels of the upper river become superb territory for birdlife and game viewing from the water. Two falls, two seasons. If you want the thunder, with helicopter flights and sunset cruises, book for next April. If you want to get into the river rather than simply look at it, the months ahead are exactly right.
23 Sept 2026
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s Visitor Numbers Are Up 11 Per Cent
Zimbabwe welcomed 384,515 international visitors in the first three months of 2026, up eleven per cent on the same period last year, one of the strongest growth rates on the continent. The recognition that began with Forbes naming Zimbabwe the world's best country to visit in 2025 is converting into arrivals, and the country is investing accordingly, with a new tourism financing strategy supporting operators across Victoria Falls, Hwange and Mana Pools. The case for going has not changed. Hwange National Park holds one of the continent's largest elephant populations. Mana Pools offers walking safaris on the Zambezi flood plain where wild dogs hunt in the open at dawn. The Eastern Highlands, rising nearly 2,600 metres along the Mozambique border, remain almost entirely unknown to international visitors. Zimbabwe spent years being overlooked. The numbers now say that is over.
23 Sept 2026
Zimbabwe / UK
Harare and London Are Directly Connected Again
On 22 July, an Air Zimbabwe flight landed at London Gatwick from Harare for the first time in fourteen years. The service runs three times weekly and restores a direct link that Zimbabwe's diaspora, the largest African diaspora community in Britain by some measures, has spent more than a decade replacing with long connections through the Gulf, Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Johannesburg. Gatwick is now the only UK airport with a direct link to the Zimbabwean capital. The operating structure is worth understanding before you book. The flights carry Air Zimbabwe's code and branding, but the service is operated under a long-term wet-lease by the Spanish carrier Plus Ultra, which provides the Airbus A330, its crew, maintenance and insurance. For the passenger, the practical effect is a direct flight of around ten hours where the alternative has meant sixteen or more. The route matters beyond convenience. Every journey home that no longer routes through a third continent changes the arithmetic of visiting, investing and returning. This is the kind of infrastructure the return has been waiting for.
23 Sept 2026
Zimbabwe / Zambia
The Victoria Falls Border Is Now Open Around the Clock
The border post between Zimbabwe and Zambia moved to 24-hour operations in November 2025, enabling round-the-clock crossings and improving mobility across one of Southern Africa's busiest tourism corridors. Sunrise visits, sunset activities and night crossings between the two sides of the falls are now straightforward. FlyNamibia doubled its Windhoek to Victoria Falls frequencies from three to six flights a week in April 2026, further improving access to the region from the west.
23 Sept 2026