Lusaka - Post Report Question and Answers

This is tough. We live in one of the very few areas where it's possible to go for a walk, and it's specific to our road. Even that requires braving traffic on the road, as there are no sidewalks or even shoulders on the roads. Most roads are bordered by deep drainage ditches (for the rainy season), so the 2-3 feet between the passing cars and the drop-off are packed with people walking to and from work. It's dicey, but I do go for a walk most days of the week (with extreme caution). There are areas to go for walks or bike rides outside the city, but you'll need to drive there. People go for runs, and one or two very brave people bike to work. The roads are dangerous for pedestrians. While we've lived in places with much worse traffic, this is the first place where there are no public parks or neighborhoods within our immediate vicinity for walking. Roads are narrow, riddled with constant potholes/craters, and packed with people, so driving requires constant vigilance. Drunk driving is a serious issue; I've watched men pour themselves a road whiskey at the grocery store parking lot and climb into the driver's seat mid-afternoon. While we lived here, a drunk driver crashed through a gate at an embassy residence, sped down the driveway and rammed into the wall of the house in the middle of the day; thank god their toddler wasn't in the driveway when this happened. I've witness multiple accidents on the road outside our compound, all due to excessive speed on poorly designed roads. We live close enough that my oldest could feasibly bike to school, but I would never allow it because of the traffic. - Feb 2026

Walking is not recommended, there are no sidewalks and drivers tend to make their own rules. Drunk driving is a huge issue. Some serious bikers brave the roads and some runners have found decent routes as well. Some reserves exist to go for walks, limited though - Apr 2025