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The GetOutside channel, run by the lawyer couple Ale and Duda, documented the motorhome crossing from Malawi to Tanzania with all costs, road challenges, police stops, and an attempted scam at the border that almost cost the inattentive traveler US$ 60.
Malawi is the fourth poorest country in the world and barely accepts credit cards. This combination creates an immediate problem for those arriving from abroad without local currency in their pockets. The Brazilian couple, who have been traveling through Africa since the beginning of the expedition and have already crossed nine countries by motorhome, had to withdraw cash from a bank on foot at the border because the Tanzanian immigration post only accepts cash payments. The video, published on April 10, 2026, has accumulated over 158,000 views on the channel with 466,000 subscribers.
The costs to cross the border from Malawi to Tanzania amounted to US$ 50 per person for the single entry visa, US$ 5 for vehicle entry fee, and US$ 35 for mandatory car insurance. In total, the couple and their friend traveling with them paid US$ 185 to enter the country with the motorhome.
How the insurance scam works at the Tanzanian border
At the border, an official offered the mandatory vehicle insurance for US$ 60.
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When the Brazilian driver asked to issue it first and pay later, the man said the system was down and asked for WhatsApp to send the document later.
The Brazilian did not accept, opened the official website that the Tanzanian police uses to check insurances, and showed it on the screen. The official changed his tone, went back, and issued the real insurance for US$ 35.
According to reports from other travelers on the iOverlander app, which the couple consults before each border, there are records of people who paid and never received the insurance.
The scam works like this: the agent charges the amount, does not issue anything in the system, and the traveler only finds out when stopped by the police inside the country.
The couple’s tip is straightforward: never pay before confirming the issuance on the official website and always check the app for reports from those who have crossed the same border recently.
What surprises on the roads of Malawi with a Brazilian motorhome
The couple traveled 643 km from Lake Malawi to the border with Tanzania and described 90% of the route as excellent asphalt, with new and well-marked sections.
The other 10% included dirt roads under construction, deep potholes, a flipped truck at the roadside, and steep descents that the driver classified as impassable at night.
The diesel found in Malawi is S50, with 50 parts per million of sulfur, the same standard as the S50 diesel sold in Brazil.
In almost all the African countries the couple crossed, the available fuel was S50. Another surprise was the police: Malawi had the most polite police stops of the entire expedition, with no requests for bribes or intimidation, something the couple did not expect after reading negative reports before the trip.
How much does it cost to travel through Africa by motorhome and what changes between Malawi and Tanzania
The difference between the two neighboring countries appears in the first kilometers.
Malawi has villages close to the road, many people walking on the shoulder, few cars, and few gas stations, but those that exist accept cards.
Tanzania is more urbanized, with more buses, tuk-tuks, and constructions, but at the first three gas stations the couple stopped at, none accepted cards, only cash.
In the supermarket of the first large city in Tanzania, prices varied: large tortilla for R$ 30, salted macadamia for R$ 40, but cashew nuts for R$ 7 (cheaper than in Brazil). Fruits like blueberries and grapes cost R$ 30 per tray.
The couple slept in an improvised campsite with no one around, arrived at night not knowing if it was safe, and woke up to a view that made up for the uncertainty.
And you, would you dare to cross Africa by motorhome or do you think it’s too crazy to drive with a Brazilian license plate through the 4th poorest country in the world? Comment below.
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