What 2 Know

Fire

Hospital

Police

Care For Business
Clinic
254396/ 98/ 252917

Security Tau Risk 24hrs
096 752314

The currency used in Zambia is the Kwacha. There are notes of K50,000, K20,000, K10,000, K5,000, K1,000, K500, K100, K50, K20 however the smaller ones are rarely used.

Lately the Kwacha has gained a lot of strength and is at about K4,000 per $1.

Click here to go to the zamnet currency converter for the exact rate and to convert any amount in any currency quickly in to or from Kwachas.

Zambia

Lusaka


	Prices in Lusaka vary for different things, below are some examples for useful things: - Cellphone top up cards vary in amounts from K5,000 to K250,000. Providers are Celtel, Cell-Z, and MTN. - CDs- Buy the latest at Game in Manda Hill for about K260,000. - In general, you can have dinner for about K50,000 per person. - Non-alcoholic drinks are mostly around K5,000


If you're new to Lusaka read this for some helpful information! If you ask people who have been here a while, going out gets repetitive, but there are some possiblities for a great time. The main place where people meet is Arcades. Here it's quite busy on Fridays and Saturdays. It's has a casual atmosphere with different restaurants, cafes, shops, movies, and bowling. Otherwise, you're best off spending weekends with friends at parties. There are various bars and clubs, but are not all always 'happening' and there's a lot of luck involved in finding the place where everyone's at.	There are various schools in Lusaka, International and local. Here are some links to ones throughout Zambia: American International School Banani Baobab Chengelo French School Lusaka International Community School International School of Lusaka Lechwe Education Trust Musikili Primary School Rhodespark School Simba	At home, there are a few main parts of the day. The internet connection is quite slow, the best day being Sunday to connect. But, with broadband instead of dial-up it is faster. The local TV service is ZNBC, one channel of news, sport, and some enjoyable programs. More expensive but a lot more varied, DSTV is available at multi-choice. It has over 50 channels of world-wide television, everything you could want to watch.

Electricity
The plugs here are 220 Volts, 50Hz, and are square pinned. You may need to buy adaptors which are available here at electronic stores or Game in Manda Hill.

Phones
Telephone: Zambia Country Code= +260. Operator: 090 or 093. Outgoing code: 00
Cellphone networks: Celtel, MTN and Cell-Z
The Zambian Yellow Pages

Please note that the telephone numbers in Zambia have all changed. For an explanation of these changes see the example below:

ZAMBIA NATIONWIDE TELEPHONE NUMBER CHANGES CLARIFICATION BY EXAMPLE:

Cell phone numbers:
095-123456 --> 0955-123456
096-123456 --> 0966-123456
097-123456 --> 0977-123456
098-123456 --> 0978-123456
099-123456 --> 0979-123456

Lusaka Landlines:
01 261234 --> 021 1 261234

Dialing from outside Zambia to a Lusaka landline:
260 1 261234 --> 260 21 1 261234

The old numbers will remain working until October 31st.

L8 October- April is the rainy season and the hottest time of the year. Afterwards it doesn't rain.
April- June medium temperatures of 25 degrees.
June- August is winter, 15-20 degrees.
August- October is very dry, temperatures around 24 degrees.

Manda Hill is more visited in the day for shopping but also has take-aways, a great O'Hagans restaurant and coffee shops. There are also some modern clothing shops where good quality items can be bought, however if you're looking for labels, it's best to buy those elsewhere. We just got a Mr. Price and an Ola Icecream parlour so enjoy!

Arcades is more of an entertainment mall with restaurants and cinemas, but also has clothes shops and a large modern supermarket, Spar.

Crossroads on Leopard's Hill. With a Spar, gift shops, utility shops, Bookworld, hairdresser, and anything else you need.

Shopping hours are normally from 8:00 to 17:00 on weekdays, 8:00 to 15:00 on Saturday. On Sundays the larger malls & supermarkets are open to about 13:00.

Be sure to also check out Downtown Shopping Centre on Kafue Road!


	- Local transport in Lusaka consists of mini buses or taxis. Mini-buses should fit about 12 people however are often over-full and aren't known to be the most safe method of travel. You can take them, most advisable is to be with an adult or friends and they are a cheap and easy way to get almost anywhere at whatever time. - Taxis still haven't become the most popular mode of transport, but there are various safe companies and private taxis that if you are familiar with can provide for non dangerous all night long transport. - It is still most advisable to organize rides with your parents, or friends. This way you know you definitely have a ride, safe and for free. - Alternatively, if you're over 17, it is relatively simple to pass and get your drivers license so you can drive yourself around.


Lusaka is changing fast! New shopping complexes popping up, delicious foods, and much more to do! Drive around and mail me about any new nice places you've been or events that have occurred!			Be aware that HIV/AIDS is very common here, the prevalence rate is as high as 16.5%! This means that about one in every 6 people is HIV positive! When leaving Lusaka, take special care not to get malaria. Take the necessary tablets and you'll be fine. Although mostly safe, its advisable not to buy food from street vendors. Make sure water is either borehole water, filtered, or bottled. Lusaka is a relatively safe and quiet city, however, be very aware of your surroundings especially when you go downtown. Theft and mugging rates are increasing, so lock the car doors and keep a good look around. If you're underage its advisable to go either in a group or with adults.

The Police:
The police these days are strict and fines are relatively high. Fines for speeding are immediately K65,000 and depending on how much you speed more is added. Be very careful these days about driving while talking on the phone, the fines are HUGE!

Drinking, Bars & Clubs:
Most bars and clubs have an age restriction of 18, but there are those that are rated 21.

The legal age for drinking is 18.

Driving:
At 16 you can get a provisional driver's license- you can drive with an adult in the car. Then at 18 you can get the real thing.

Movies:
The movies at Arcades especially, do have the usual age restrictions. However, often if you simply look the age or are with older friends you can get in. The penalty known is a simple warning, and obviously a change in movie.

more on the movies...