Matusadona National Park

About the park

Matusadona takes its name from the Matusadona hills and covers 1,470 km² between Lake Kariba and the Ume and Sanyati rivers, from the Zambezi escarpment down to open grassland along the shore. Elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard are the headline game, with impala and kudu, hippos and crocodiles at the water's edge, and black rhino were flown back in during 2026, more than thirty years after the last ones were moved out. Most visitors arrive by boat or charter from Kariba to the lakeshore lodges, but self-drivers can come in from the Karoi–Binga back road via the Chifudze entrance, about 68 km to the Tashinga headquarters and campsite on the lake. The park was the first in Zimbabwe to be managed by African Parks with ZimParks, and the access road is now usually well maintained. Allow half a day to drive in, carry all your fuel, and avoid the rains, when river crossings and washaways close the road.

Highlights

• Camping at Tashinga on the Lake Kariba shore
• Game on the open lakeshore grassland
• Boat trips and fishing on the Ume and Sanyati arms (fishing permit)
• The drive down the escarpment from Chifudze

Good to know

• 1,470 km² between Lake Kariba, the Ume and the Sanyati rivers
• Managed by African Parks with ZimParks
• Road access via Chifudze off the Karoi–Binga road, about 68 km to Tashinga; impassable in the rains
• Airstrip at Tashinga (permission needed); boat access from Kariba
• Emergency fuel at Tashinga is sometimes sold, expensive and unreliable
• Camping at Tashinga and ZimParks bush camps such as Ume