No. The roads to Bilene are suited to all types of vehicles, however a 4×4 is required for the dunes and beaches.

GPS Coordinates

25°15’07.9″S 33°20’34.7″E (-25.2522016, 33.3429667)

Directions

Take the N4 to Komatipoort. Go through the border and drive along the EN4

Take the first turnoff to Xai Xai (the new ring road).

Follow the EN4 until you reach Macia. At Macia, turn right, just after the USAVE shop on the right, and proceed for approximately 34km to Bilene. At the Bilene circle, you can take any road to the bottom of Bilene and turn left.

At the Millennium Bank, turn left onto the gravel road, and follow the Boa Vista Resort boards. Boa Vista is approximately 14 kilometres down this road.

If you want to go through Maputo, use the EN4 and take the XAI XAI turn-off to hook up with the EN4 again.

For the Border Post:

• You will need to present:

  • Passports that are valid for at least 6 months from your return date.
  • COVID vaccination certificate or COVID test results. If you don’t have these, you will be tested at the border for a fee of R200.
  • Registration papers for vehicles, caravans and trailers (a photocopy will do) must be valid for at least 3 months after your return date).
  • A DriveMoz sticker must be displayed on the front and back of your vehicle, and a DriveMoz 3rd party letter (if you do not have details for the DriveMoz insurance please email us at info@boavista.co.za for further details). https://www.drivemoz.co.za
  • Letter of permission – if the vehicle does not belong to you, a letter of permission is required from the owner allowing you use of the vehicle in Mozambique plus a copy of his/her ID.
  • A Cross the Border Letter from your bank if your vehicle is currently being financed approving the border crossing.
  • A ZA sticker on the car for those travelling from South Africa.
  • A yellow and blue triangle sticker on the back of ALL vehicles, including trailers and caravans. These stickers can be purchased near the border, but it’s less expensive to purchase them from the AA, Midas or Builder’s Warehouse.
  • A 120km/h max sticker on your car. These stickers can also be purchased near the border, but again, it’s less expensive to purchase them from the AA, Midas or Builder’s Warehouse.
  • Confirmation of vehicle insurance (a Cross-the-Border letter from your insurance broker stating your intended destinations and confirming that your car is insured).
  • A current vehicle licence disc.
  • 2 x yellow reflector jackets (must be carried in the vehicle at all times). Place them over front seats so that the traffic officials can see them).
  • A fire extinguisher (must be carried in the vehicle at all times).
  • A letter confirming your booking and the duration of your stay. This will be sent to you upon confirmation of your booking.
  • You need to register your vehicle for a TIP certificate at the border for R250. You will recieve 3 forms: 1st one to be provided to customs on entering Mozambique, 2nd one is your reciept and last is one to provide to customs when leaving Mozambique
  • If you are a foreigner (i.e. if you are not South African) and require a visa to Mozambique, you need to take your Boa Vista Bookings Reservation form with you

  In the event of experiencing any issues at the border, call Crizy +258 84 401 4740 (border control). He can help with any matters (on the SA & Moz side).

For the Road:

• Drinks, snacks, music
• Toilet paper, wet wipes etc.

Supplies & Other:

Dairy products and meat are not always available in Mozambique, so we recommend that you bring your own. It is also advisable to bring the following:

• Long-life milk
• Cheese
• Bacon
• Cooking oil
• Eggs
• Meat for the duration of your stay
• Butter
• Sugar
• Salt, pepper and spices
• Condiments
• Lemons or lemon juice
• Bottles of drinking water (if you don’t want to drink borehole water)
• Coffee, tea etc.
• Liquor (some liquor items can be bought in Mozambique)
• Shampoo, soap etc.
• Cell phone chargers

Medical Supplies:

• Malaria tablets
• Peaceful sleep
• Basic medical supplies
• Painkillers
• Rehidrat electrolyte mixture
• Essentiale

For the Beach:

• Beach towels
• Umbrellas
• Suntan lotion
• After-sun lotion
• Cooler box
• Hats
• Beachwear
• Water toys/lilo
• Snorkel
• Water shoes (for the occasional sea urchin)

The answer to this is sometimes complex, as it depends on many things including your interests, exactly where you want to visit and why you’re going. One person’s best time can be another’s worst.

Based on records and our experience, we have provided a broad guide to the climate of Mozambique below. It is well known that weather patterns globally are becoming increasingly unpredictable, and these days we’re seeing downpours in the middle of deserts and damaging droughts when rains should be falling.

The Mozambique coastline stretches for almost 2,000km, covering latitudes from about 11° to 27° South, with a tropical ocean current running north to south throughout the year. Despite this range of latitudes, the whole country broadly follows a southern African weather pattern, with the rains falling largely between December and March.

This does vary a little between the north and south of the country, with the rains lasting a few weeks longer in the north than in the south, but the pattern is the same. Humidity can be uncomfortably high during this period.

Most of Mozambique’s rain arrives on moist southeast trade winds, but Mozambique also lies in the rain shadow of Madagascar. This gives Mozambique a relatively low annual rainfall and a great deal of protection from the tropical storms and the occasional cyclone which heads towards it during this period.

By around April or May, the rains subside, the sun comes out and the humidity drops, with better weather over the bulk of Mozambique.

June to October is the dry season, often with perfect tropical weather: clear skies, plenty of sun and almost no rain. Generally speaking, this is the best time for most people to visit Mozambique. Although still tropical, June, July and August are Mozambique’s coolest months – you will need a light duvet at night, even though the temperature reaches over 30°C during the day.

September and October it remains dry as daytime temperatures climb, though it cools down substantially at night.

November is a less predictable month. Sometimes the rains start, although many days remain sunny and hot. The rains generally start earlier in the north of the country.

Citizens of Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe do not require an entry visa when travelling to Mozambique as a tourist (when travelling for work the appropriate visa must be obtained before arrival). British citizens will need to apply for a visa, and this can be purchased at the border.

All visitors require passports with an expiry date that is more than 3 months away. This is strictly controlled on entry into the country. 

Further Information:

Checklist When Travelling to Mozambique

https://www.mozambiqueislands.com/checklist-for-travelling-to-mozambique-from-south-africa/

Mozambique Travel Service Tips

https://www.mozambiquetravelservice.com/getting_to_mozambique/driving_border_guide.htm

The border crossing, especially in season, can take time, and on the South African side, you do not require the assistance of a vendor.

When entering the border area, you will receive a gate pass that records the number of people in your vehicle. New rules for South Africa are that you need to get your car papers signed and stamped by a police officer.

When you enter the border offices, you will need to get the gate pass stamped at the first counter and you will be guided to where you get your passport stamped.

DO NOT hand your gate pass or any other documents to the runners on the Mozambiquan side of the border. 

As you drive into Mozambique, you will receive another gate pass. Here, you will need to show your passports (must be valid for at least 3 months after your return date), vehicle registration papers, a bank approval letter if your car is currently being financed, and a letter from your insurance broker stating your intended destinations and confirming that your car is insured. If you are travelling in someone else’s car, you will need a letter from the owner permitting the border crossing.

At this point, things can get a little tricky as most signs are in Portuguese and the locals can harass you for items like SIM cards and currency exchanges etc.

Make sure that all your papers are returned to you and that your passports are stamped. Once this is done, you will need to hand the gate pass to the police at the gate.

Please note that the speed limit when exiting the border is 60km/h (60km/h on your speedometer, not 60km/h on your GPS). The Mozambicans are very strict speed limits, so please be vigilant.

Just go slow, and enjoy the ride!

• Once you’ve crossed the border, purchase a Vodacom SIM card and Vodacom vouchers.
• All SIM cards are already RICAed in the name of the seller.
• To load a voucher, dial *130*01* voucher number #.
• To see your balance, dial *100*03#.
• To change airtime into data, dial *109# option 2, option 3, option 2, option 2.