Chad

Do South Africans need a visa for Chad?

Yes. South Africans need a visa, which reference sources list as available as an e-visa. Chad is a yellow-fever-risk country, so you’ll need a yellow fever vaccination certificate — South Africa asks for it when you come home.

What the official advice covers

As we checked it on 19 September 2026, the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Chad’s northern provinces (Borkou, Ennedi Ouest, Ennedi Est and Tibesti), western Kanem, the Lake Chad region, and land within 30km of all of Chad’s other borders. It advises against all but essential travel to the rest of the country, including N’Djamena. Read the current advice before you decide.

What it costs (in rand)

Chad is expensive to visit — budget around R800–1,500 a day, and much more for a safari. N’Djamena’s hotels are priced for oil-industry and aid travellers, and Zakouma’s camps are a significant spend. The currency is the Central African CFA franc, pegged to the euro; bring euros in cash.

When to go

The dry season, roughly November to May, is the travel window. Zakouma’s camps open in the dry months, when animals gather at water. The rains, from about June to October, make much of the country impassable.

Getting around

Fly into N’Djamena, typically via Addis Ababa, Istanbul or Casablanca — compare flights. Zakouma is reached by charter flight or a long drive, usually arranged by the camps. Chad has historically required a photography permit, so check before you take pictures. A data eSIM works in towns; coverage fades fast outside them.

What it’s known for

Zakouma National Park, a genuine African conservation success story, where elephant numbers have recovered and big herds of buffalo and antelope gather in the dry season — under the all-but-essential warning. The otherworldly sandstone arches and canyons of the Ennedi Plateau (UNESCO) are in the north, under the all-travel warning.

Honest take

Chad is an expedition-level destination: Zakouma is superb, but it’s expensive and remote, and the whole country sits under at least an all-but-essential warning. For South Africans, the paperwork is an e-visa and a yellow fever certificate. Read the current advice, book through the park’s own camps, and decide for yourself.