A Grand Adventure
Leisure Wheels|August 2019

Seven7 Drive is back, with a new twist. This year we decided to stick to South Africa only, skipping Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho. This was in an effort to create more local awareness for the organisation we support, Cupcakes of Hope. This is the story of an epic 5 000km local-is-lekker adventure.

Danie Botha
A Grand Adventure

In 2015, it seemed like a great idea: get in a Kia, drive through seven countries in seven days, and stop at a hospital in each country, handing out gifts to kids in those hospitals.

It had never been done before. And we had no idea if it could be done. Driving 7 000km on a lovely new highway is one thing... driving 7 000km through rural Africa, often at night, crossing borders, being subjected to the mercy of corrupt officials... it was a long shot, for sure.

Somehow we made it. Just the first day of that adventure was a 1 800km slog from Pretoria to Windhoek, in Namibia, using a longer route to ensure we completed a ‘circle route’ and our tracks did not cross. Our team of three drivers took turns to pilot the Kia Sorento and although it certainly was tough and taxing, it proved to be quite the adventure.

Heartened by our first attempt, we tackled the same route in 2016 in a Kia Sportage. But we were down to just two people and this adventure was to prove an extreme test for men and machine.

Driving up to 14 hours per day, we eventually battled to do stints of only one hour per driver, before fatigue set in. We had no choice but to sleep over in a brothel in Zimbabwe, the Sportage was subjected to terrible potholes, and the Zimbabwean police were intent on collecting every single US dollar we had in our possession, and then some.

One incident summed that dreadful leg up: the sun had barely stuck its head over the horizon and the light was still hazy when a police roadblock loomed. A grinning policeman walked over: “Your car’s lights are on,” he said.

“Er... yes, we know. We have been driving since 4am and it’s still kind of dark. And we’d like other cars to see us, and we’d like to see where we are going.”

Denne historien er fra August 2019-utgaven av Leisure Wheels.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra August 2019-utgaven av Leisure Wheels.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.