LOCATION: ZAMBIA

Filming in Zambia

If you’re looking for a Zambia location fixer and scout, FilmFixers is the right group to contact. We have produced and assisted production in multiple locations across Zambia.  The relatively low costs, endless location options and fantastic weather all contribute to a location that can satisfy a wide range of needs and budgets. Easy access to Zambia visas and filming permits as well as low barriers to bringing production equipment in have also contributed to a compelling argument for Zambia as a production location

Customs and Equipment

Bring your equipment! Zambia does not have any gear rental companies, so you will have to bring in your own gear. Film Fixers has great relationships with South African gear rental companies at really competitive rates, so this becomes an option if you are not able to bring your gear with you. Film Fixers will handle the paperwork and help you bring your gear through customs clearance via a customs clearing agent which takes about 5 days to process.

Contact us for more information on Zambia as well as details on the required film visas and film permits.

Access and Affordability

Getting to Zambia by air is relatively easy.

European airlines such as Air France, Lufthansa and KLM fly to Lusaka, via either Harare or Johannesburg. Flights from South Africa operate between Oliver Tambo International airport in Johannesburg and Kenneth Kaunda International  Airport, which is about 15km northeast of Lusaka.

If your production location is near the Vic Falls, then Livingstone international airport is your ideal spot as it is about 20 minutes drive from Vic Falls, on the northern edge of Livingstone. Most of the lodges and hotels in the area have shuttles running to and from the airport.

There are a total of 21 airports in Zambia, so once you have arrived, it is relatively easy to catch a connecting flight to wherever your location is.

The major roads in Zambia are tarred, but the further away from that you move from the city centres, the paved roads make way for dirt roads which generally require 4×4 vehicles. There are car hire companies in Lusaka and Livingstone as well as in Kite and Ndola.

Local talent, buyouts, daily rates for support crew and locations are generally inexpensive, and we will negotiate with the locals to ensure that fair trade prevails. Even if you are quoted in USD, by law, payments within Zambia must be made in Zambian Kwachas (ZMK). Most hotels, restaurants and car hire companies do accept credit cards.

Weather

If you are shooting a wildlife programme or series, your best time to film is at the end of the dry season (September, October and November) because the animals gather around watering holes, and are therefore much easier to see.

If the splendour of the Vic Falls is what you are looking for, then it’s best to get there at the end of the rainy season (around March, April) when the Falls are at their peak.

Why film in Zambia

  • Easy Access

  • Very Affordable

  • Seamless Customs Experience

  • Easy Visa and Permit System

  • Diverse Location Options

Top Film Locations

Vic Falls –  One of the seven natural wonders of the world, “The Smoke that Thunders or Mosi-oa-Tunya”. Powered by 500 million cubic meters of water dropping over 2km wide basalt cliffs into a gorge about 100 meters below, this is a sight to behold. In the drier months, Devil’s Pool is a death-defying sojourn to within a meter of the edge of the Vic Falls – the ultimate rock pool and ultimate adrenalin rush. Try it – Film Fixers have!!

Lake Kariba – Africa’s largest man-made lake,  Kariba Lake, offers up spectacular sunrises and sunsets, luxury houseboats, fantastic game fishing and a hoard of water sports all year round. The dam supports a thriving commercial fishing and crocodile industry.

South Luangwa National Park – The best location to find leopard. That’s if you can sit still long enough in the dense Mopane and Sausage treed forests. The Luanga river snakes through the forests and open grasslands, past hippos, Vervet monkeys, giraffe, crocodiles, elephant, buck, and of course, leopard. The Valley of the Leopard is a gorgeous location option.

Kafue National Park – Fly in from Lusaka or Livingstone, or drive for about 3 hours and revel in the beauty that is Kafue National Park. Located in the western part of Zambia, this diverse rich habitat is home to such diverse wildlife. So much of this national park remains undiscovered, with large tracts of virgin bush remaining to be explored and photographed.

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