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African Safaris and Tours
Malaria In Botswana
Malaria Risk Areas, Seasons and Prevention in Botswana
Malaria in Botswana is concentrated in the northern half of the country, the region that holds the Okavango Delta, Moremi, Khwai, Linyanti, Savute and Chobe, and with them many of Botswana's best-known safari areas. UK guidance from NaTHNaC rates the north as high risk from October to May and low risk from June to September. The southern half carries a very low risk all year.
For the high-risk months in the north, UK guidance lists three antimalarials: atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline and mefloquine. Which one suits you depends on your health, age and itinerary, so the choice belongs with your doctor or a travel clinic. Ideally, book that appointment four to six weeks before you travel. Outside the high-risk season, and anywhere in the south, guidance recommends awareness of the risk and careful bite avoidance.
No antimalarial is 100% effective, so covering up and using repellent from dusk to dawn matters on every Botswana safari. Conditions change, and this page is a guide only. Always check current advice with a medical professional before you travel.
For the disease itself, including symptoms, prevention and how risk varies across the continent, see our Malaria in Africa guide. For how the seasons shape a safari, see when to visit Botswana.
The map below shows Botswana's malaria risk areas. The shaded northern zone is high risk from October to May and low risk from June to September, while the unshaded south is very low risk all year.
Botswana Malaria Risk Map
Malaria in Botswana: Frequently Asked Questions
Is there malaria in Botswana?
Yes, there is malaria in Botswana, but the risk is concentrated in the northern half of the country, which takes in the Okavango Delta, Moremi and Chobe. The southern half, including Gaborone and the Kgalagadi, carries a very low risk all year. In the north, the level of risk depends on the time of year.
When is malaria risk highest in Botswana?
Malaria risk in northern Botswana is highest from October to May, when UK guidance rates it as high. From June to September it drops to low risk, but it never disappears, so bite avoidance matters on every northern safari, whatever the month. Advice can change, so check the current guidance shortly before you travel.
Do I need antimalarials for the Okavango Delta and Chobe?
UK guidance recommends antimalarials for northern Botswana from October to May, and lists atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine. Whether you need them, and which one suits you, depends on your health and itinerary, so ask a doctor or travel clinic to advise you individually. From June to September, the guidance is awareness of the risk and bite avoidance.
What is the malaria risk in southern Botswana?
Southern Botswana carries a very low malaria risk throughout the year. UK guidance does not recommend antimalarials there, but it does advise awareness of the risk and avoiding mosquito bites. If your itinerary combines southern and northern areas, the northern guidance applies to the part of your trip spent in the north.
Is malaria a concern for children and pregnant travellers in Botswana?
Yes. UK guidance lists pregnant women, infants and young children, the elderly and anyone without a working spleen among those at greater risk of malaria or its complications. Advice for children differs, and not every antimalarial is suitable for them. Anyone in these groups should see a doctor or travel clinic well before planning a northern Botswana safari.
How do I avoid mosquito bites on a Botswana safari?
To avoid bites, cover up and use repellent from dusk to dawn, when malaria-carrying mosquitoes mainly bite. Wear long sleeves and long trousers in the evenings, apply insect repellent to exposed skin, and sleep under a mosquito net or in a screened room. Bite avoidance applies everywhere in Botswana, including the very low-risk south.
What should I do if I get a fever after a Botswana safari?
Seek urgent medical help for any fever or flu-like symptoms during your trip or within a year of leaving Botswana, and tell the doctor where you have travelled. Don't wait to see whether symptoms worsen. Malaria usually appears from about a week after an infected bite, can deteriorate quickly, and can occur even if you took antimalarials.
Map of Lodges in and around Botswana
Botswana Travel Topics
10 Reasons To Visit Botswana
Ten reasons, from the Okavango's flood and Chobe's elephant herds to the Makgadikgadi salt pans, Kalahari lions and San trackers, wild dogs in the Linyanti, mokoro trips, and a low-volume tourism policy that keeps vehicle numbers down.
Best Botswana Safari Lodges
Our pick of Botswana's safari lodges, region by region: Mombo and Xigera in the Delta, Chobe Game Lodge on the river, Jack's Camp on the pans and Savute Elephant Lodge, plus how to choose between them.
Botswana Chobe National Park
A practical guide to Chobe: getting there from Kasane, river cruises versus game drives, where the elephants come down to drink, the lodges we use, and how to add Victoria Falls on the way in or out.
The Perfect Okavango Delta Honeymoon Safari
Planning a honeymoon in the Okavango Delta: the camps that suit couples, from Camp Okavango to Mombo, with sunrise boat cruises, mokoro trips, and private dinners and helicopter flights where the camp offers them.
10 Reasons To Visit The Savuti
Ten reasons to put Savuti on your route: bull elephants, big lion prides, wild dogs, the Savuti Marsh, San rock art in the Gubatsa Hills, and a channel with a habit of drying up for years at a time.
5 Best Lodges In The Chobe National Park
Five lodges in and around Chobe National Park that we would happily send you to: Chobe Game Lodge with its all-female guiding team, Ngoma, Muchenje, Chobe Chilwero, and &Beyond Chobe Under Canvas, which moves camp to follow the game.
How Much Does It Cost to Go on a Safari in Botswana?
What a Botswana safari actually costs, and why: camping versus mobile versus lodge, the season you travel, flights between camps, park fees and tips, and where a few honest savings can be made.
10 Best Lodges In Okavango Delta
Ten Okavango Delta camps we rate, from Eagle Island and Xigera to Jao, Jacana and Duba Plains, with what each does best, from mokoro trips on the water to family suites and walking safaris.