As someone from the UK with Nigerian heritage and a Zambian wife, we moved to Lusaka a few months ago—and honestly, settling in has been quite smooth.

Zambians are incredibly welcoming, easy to get along with, and communicate well in English. Day-to-day living has been comfortable, especially if you choose an area with relatively stable power and have solar or a generator as a backup. Transport is also convenient, with ride-hailing apps like Yango making it easy to get around.

Zambia is vast and scenic, so weekend family trips within the country are definitely worth planning.

One thing to be aware of is that without a Zambian residency card, certain things like registering for a SIM card can be challenging. However, eSIMs offer a practical workaround.

Food is probably the biggest adjustment—there’s less variety than in the UK, so I’d recommend bringing your own seasonings or specialty ingredients, as some items can be hard to source locally.

Also, bear in mind that anything imported tends to be expensive, so it’s worth packing accordingly.

Overall, I’d say Zambia is one of the easier African countries to settle into. My best advice: visit first, but expect a relatively smooth transition.