The River of Life

“…There is a river, whose streams make glad the city of God…” is a true quotation of the Book of Psalms, as the Zambezi River has done for the people of eight countries, in southern Africa. From Tanzania down to Botswana, from Mozambique cross to Angola, the Zambezi has its tributaries running fervently, spilling into dams, lakes, pools, and eventually the Indian Ocean.

Nations Involved: Basin territory
The Zambezi has its sources in Upper Zambia, and runs down the country, going all directions, turning westward, inland, creating one of Zambia’s inland rivers – the Kafue River. The Zambezi extends westward into Angola, with four smaller branches that get into the centre of the country. On the other upper side, the Zambezi three branches. The first one goes into Tanzania, and the second into Malawi, the third into Mozambique, and the fourth down into Zimbabwe. In Malawi, the Zambezi feeds Lake Malawi, a life centre for the Malawian people. In Mozambique, the Zambezi feeds two dams, Cabora Basa being the largest, and a power generating dam.

In Zimbabwe, the Zambezi branches of seven times, with two branches coming from Mozambique on the North eastern side of Zimbabwe. The third branch on the northern side comes right down to Harare, feeding Harare’s major water source – Lake Chivero, though forming other smaller distribution points feeding other dams and pools. Four of Zimbabwe’s branches of the Zambezi are on the western side, which form major rivers that feed the rest of the Zimbabwean provinces.

The Zambezi River also has two other branches that feed Namibia and Botswana. In total, the Zambezi basin covers 1.3 million kilometres.

Dams and Lakes: Water & Power
The Zambezi River has 16 dams and lakes connected to it, two of which generate electricity, and the rest are sources of water for drinking and sanitation. It supplies electricity to six major cities, through the Kariba and Cabora Basa power stations respectively. According to an ICUN research conducted in the year 2000, the Zambezi River can supply 10,000m3 of water per person per year within the basin it covers.

Terrain: Passion of Life
The Zambezi River is one of the few rivers in the world to run through many political territories and terrains. It is visible in the deserts of Namibia and Botswana, in the grasslands of Angola, in the wetlands of Zambia, in the Savannah woodlands of Zimbabwe, and in the marsh lands of Malawi and Mozambique.

The Zambezi is known to being a violent river, with extreme rapids and gorges. It has more than forty gorges, the bulk of them being on the main stem, running between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Fish and Birds, and other animals
According to the ICUN the Zambezi hosts more than 147 species of fish, and the Tiger fish is the second most popular, after the bream. The tiger fish is one of the few species found both above and below the Victoria Falls. Pike is predominant in the upper course of the river, as are yellowfish and barbel. Bream are now common both above and below the falls.

Crocodiles abound in the Zambezi, though they generally avoid stretches of fast-running water. Hippopotamuses are also found in the upper and lower stretches of the Zambezi. Elephants are common over much of the river’s course, particularly in areas such as the Sesheke Plain and near the Luangwa confluence. Game animals include buffalo, eland, sable, roan, kudu, waterbuck, impala, duiker, bushbuck, reedbuck, bushpig, and warthog.

Of the big cats, lions can be found in the Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe and elsewhere along the river’s course; cheetahs, although comparatively rare, can be sighted; and leopards, rarely seen by daylight, are common, both in the plains and the river gorges. Baboons and monkeys abound throughout the region.

Cashing in on the Zambezi
The Zambezi is home to the best fish in southern Africa, with bream, tiger, and kapenta being significant contributors to the economics of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique. Major fishing industries are based in Kariba (Zimbabwe), Kafue (Zambia), Cabora Basa (Mozambique), and Lake Malawi (Malawi & Tanzania).

Communities by the river fish extensively from it, and many people travel from far afield to fish. Some Zambian towns on roads leading to the river levy unofficial 'fish taxes' on people taking Zambezi fish to other parts of the country. As well as fishing for food, game fishing is a significant activity on some parts of the river. Between Mongu and Livingstone, several safari lodges cater for tourists who want to fish for exotic species, and many also catch fish to sell to aquaria.

Tourism Cash Cow
In order to understand the extent to which the Zambezi has a stronghold over the tourism industries of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and even South Africa, just Google the word “Zambezi”. You will get more than 1.3 million hits, being tour and travel operators and resorts offering packages for visitors. The Zambezi is the centre of Zimbabwe and Zambia’s tourism, as the host of four major attractions – Victoria Falls, Mana Pools, Kariba Dam, and the Zambezi itself.

The Zambezi hosts many of the World’s best Lodges, Resorts, and Hotels. The Zambezi also has many national parks, hosting Safaris of vast game and territory. The western areas of Zimbabwe are reserved for game parks and bird sanctuaries.

The river is considered the best Whitewater rafting area, with thousands of rafters engaging the rapids and gorges. Many visit from Europe, North Africa, Asia, and the Americas just to participate in rafting events.