Zambezi is a town in the North-Western Province of Zambia, lying on the Zambezi River, west of Kabompo. It is at the western end of the M8 road. It is known for the palaces of the chiefs of the Lunda and Lovale people. Until about 1966 it was called Balovale after the dominant chief but the name was changed in an attempt to defuse tensions between the main groups and the government of the newly independent country.