Experiences based on travel to Zambia:

Don't drink the water. Period.

Definitely get your immunizations and take Malaria meds. That's some wicked stuff. Met a lot of folks in Zambia with it.

Victoria Falls was fantastic! Absolutely worth the trip (and it's a long bumpy one).

Staying in guest houses is an interesting experience (sort of the equivalent of a B&B). Depends on your expectation of a level of comfort, and what a real meal consists of. Nshima didn't quite cut it for me. The quality can very widely from guest house to guest house.

Don't expect to see a lot of animals when you're driving around. They were eaten long ago.

As for the camera, check out some of my brother's photos from Zambia, Tunisia and Algeria. A decent camera and knowledge of how to use it are definitely worth having.