Travel safety comparison · Africa
Botswana vs Zimbabwe: safety comparison
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Botswana vs Zimbabwe: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Botswana carries a materially lower safety risk than Zimbabwe on the composite Warnely score: 24/100 against 46/100, a gap of 22 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Botswana scores 2/5 against Zimbabwe's 3/5.
| 🇧🇼Botswana | 🇿🇼Zimbabwe | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 24 / 100 | 46 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Normal Caution | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #43 | #114 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Exercise Caution | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | legal | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | BWP | ZWL |
Botswana vs Zimbabwe: common questions
Is Botswana or Zimbabwe safer to visit?
Botswana has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 24/100 vs 46/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Botswana or Zimbabwe safer for solo female travellers?
Botswana is rated Exercise Caution for women's safety; Zimbabwe is rated Exercise Caution. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Botswana and Zimbabwe?
Botswana: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Zimbabwe: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).