Anyone wanting to self-drive the road between Harare and Kariba Town will be grateful for the following updates from residents in Kariba.
Road conditions between Harare and Kariba
• From Harare city centre to the Westgate roundabout there is a newly tarred double lane from Second Street onto Lomagundi Road and out to Westgate. This road is a pleasure to drive on. Take note of the very large speed humps that you will encounter close to the Bluffhill Engen fuel station near Helena Road.
• After the Westgate roundabout, the road narrows to a single lane, but there are a few potholes. In certain places, the road becomes uneven, so pay some attention. Be cautious of this near the Willdale Bricks entrance and some nasty speed humps.
• The road from there on is not too bad at all and most of the potholes have been repaired with tar right up to the Farmer's Wife Farm Store, Cafe & Campsite which is on the 219km peg, Vhuka Farm, 19km past Karoi.
• Be careful of all bridge crossings as several of them have a nasty lip going on and off the bridges.
• The road just after Lions Den is a little uneven, so slow down marginally, particularly when passing The Angwa Dam on your right-hand side going to Kariba. Just after the dam, there is a culvert that goes beneath the road that can cause vehicles to ramp if you don’t slow down.
• The stretch leading past Buffalo Downs and into Karoi has improved greatly with very few potholes noticeable whilst the road coming up to and immediately after Elephants Walk has been improved greatly.
• From the Farmers Wife to Makuti, while still the most challenging section, much of the road has been patched with tar, and ongoing repairs are evident; caution is advised due to remaining cutbacks and drop-offs.
• You will eventually come to a large Bitumen plant. From this plant to Makuti, most potholes have been repaired with tar, and the road is constantly maintained.
• The road from Makuti to Kariba is narrow but generally in good condition. There are a few potholes, but these are generally repaired quite quickly. In this section, beware of wildlife.
We sincerely believe that the best time to travel this road in either direction is to depart at 5am as it is cool and there is less traffic. With a reasonable stop of about 20 - 30 minutes, the journey should take about 5 hours. During peak times such as before and after public holidays, the road will be much busier. In addition to the trucks, there will be tourists and people travelling home from the towns and cities.
Distances from Harare:
Banket – 95.2km,
Chinhoyi – 117km,
Lions Den – 139.07km,
Karoi – 205km,
Makuti 292.3km,
Kariba 365km.