The Kwando is a life-giving river that rises in the Angolan highlands and ends its journey in Botswana’s vast Linyanti Swamp.
The 730-kilometre Kwando River springs into life high in Angola and flows south to reach the Caprivi Strip in Namibia. Once past Caprivi it flows southeast, demarcating the border between Nambia and Botswana before finally spilling into the Linyanti Swamps.
The Kwando is the life-blood of the Caprivi region, providing sustenance for local people who pole along its course in traditional dug-out canoes, or mekoro, fishing for tilapia and other freshwater species. The river is also a source of food and water for vast herds of elephant and hippo, crocodiles and thousands of red lechwe.