Namibia Currency:
- The Namibia Dollar (NAD) and the South African Rand
(ZAR) are the only legal tender in Namibia, and are at par.
- Namibia Currency in Note form: N$200, N$100,
N$50, N$20, N$10
- Namibia currency in Coin form: N$1, 50c, 20c, 10c,
5c
- Namibia currency is not acceptable as legal tender
in any other country
- There are banks with Foreign Exchange
counters in the larger towns.
- There is a Bureau de Change at Windhoek
International Airport and most major towns in Namibia have at least
one Bureau de Change.
Foreign Currencies That Most
Banks in Namibia will change for you.
Australian Dollar,
Botswana Pula, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Danish Kroner, Euro,
Hong Kong Dollar, Japanese Yen, Kenya Shilling, Malawi Kwacha,
Mauritius Rupee, New-Zealand Dollar, Norwegian Kroner, New Taiwanese
Dollar, Singapore Dollar, Swazi Emalangeni, Swiss Franc, USA Dollar,
Zambia Kwacha, Zimbabwe Dollar.
Changing Cash or Travellers' Cheques for
Namibia Dollars:
Shop around. Some, but not all,
Namibian banks charge a commission on top of their buying rate for
changing foreign currency and traveller's cheques. Bureau de Change
usually just work with their buying rate without adding any extra
commissions. The Namibia Post Offices (NamPost) also have change bureaus
in the major towns.
Banking Hours:
- Monday and Friday 08h30 to 15h30
- Tue Wed Thursday 09h00 to 15h30
- Saturday Morning 08h30 to 11h00
It is wiser to do your banking in
the larger towns. In some of the
smaller towns you may find the Banks closing at 13h00
Credit Cards:
Check with your card company as to
whether your Card is authorized for you to make purchases in an
overseas country, and what their
'International Cash Withdrawal Fees' are before leaving on your
journey. Using a Credit Card for buying your foreign
currency is convenient. However, it is wise to check as to what rates you
will be paying.
Major Credit Cards as Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa
are generally accepted in Namibia. However, you will find some shops and smaller
accommodation establishments that are not equipped to process your card,
and therefore it is wise to establish the facts before obtaining their
services etc.
You cannot buy Petrol or Diesel at a Fuel
Station / Garage in Namibia with a credit card. You have to be in possession of a locally
issued 'Garage Fuel Card'.
Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs)
You'll find ATMs outside of all banks.
However, don't be surprised if you arrive at one that's awaiting repair.
In the smaller towns this can be most inconvenient as you might have to
wait several hours. Carry enough cash reserves with you.
Cautionary Note: Beware of any person
or persons who come near to you, or offer help whilst you are processing
your card. Snatching of Credit Cards at the time of processing is common in Namibia, so stay alert and save yourself a lot of
inconvenience.
