Rundu, Namibia · UTC+2 ☆

Rundu is in the Africa/Windhoek timezone (CAT/UTC+2), with no daylight saving time observed. Rundu sits on the southern bank of the Okavango River, looking north into Angola across the water. The Okavango flows east from here into the Okavango Delta in Botswana, one of the world’s great inland water systems. The river at Rundu is green and wide, the vegetation thick on both banks, a strip of water and life cutting through the surrounding dry bushveld.

Namibia uses Central Africa Time, UTC+2, year-round. Rundu shares this fixed offset with Windhoek to the south. Namibia abolished its own DST practice in 2023, aligning with the majority of African countries on a permanent standard time.

At 18 degrees south, Rundu has a subtropical climate rather than the desert character of central and southern Namibia. The Kavango region receives more rainfall than most of Namibia, supporting agriculture and riverine forest. The daily rhythm follows the river: fishing early morning, market activity mid-morning, the heat of afternoon kept at bay by the river’s moisture.

the river calendar and Kavango tradition

The Kavango people have lived along the Okavango River for centuries, and the river governs their calendar. Flood season (March-May) determines when fields near the riverbanks can be planted. The fishing calendar follows the water levels. Civil timekeeping is one layer over an older one.

9am in Rundu is 7am in London in winter.

Sources

• IANA Time Zone Database - Africa/Windhoek
• Namibia Statistics Agency