Kingsley Holgate’s epic journey: Afrika Odyssey expedition nears completion
The team's humanitarian efforts include distributing mosquito nets and reading glasses to combat malaria and support communities in need.
North Coast explorer extraordinaire Kingsley Holgate and his team are gearing up for the final leg of their 41st African journey which began in June last year.
Testing their Defender 130s to the limit, the Afrika Odyssey expedition has already travelled more than 40 000km through the continent’s toughest terrain, facing many obstacles such as heavy rain, floods and extreme heat.
The mission entails visiting 22 wildlife reserves managed by the NGO African Parks in partnership with 12 African countries. They’ve already visited 15 of the reserves.
Their focus is on conservation, culture, and providing humanitarian aid.
“After 30 years of exploring the continent, we’ve seen how its wildlife and nature are at risk. We’re exploring to see if there’s hope for Africa’s wild places and the people who rely on them,” said Kingsley.
Starting from Angola, they’ve journeyed through Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda and South Sudan, among others.
“High rainfall in East and Central Africa has increased malaria cases, especially among children. We’ve distributed more than 7 600 mosquito nets and 1 800 reading glasses,” said Ross Holgate.
Conservation education also forms a big part of their expedition. Through programmes such as Wildlife Art, they’re teaching children near protected areas about environmental conservation.
Their next challenge is reaching seven wildlife regions in countries such as the Republic of the Congo and Chad.
They’ll face tough conditions like dense forests, rivers, deserts and potential security threats.
One team member, ‘Shova Mike’ Nixon, will cycle 600km through Chad’s desert to reach the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve.
“We want to show the world the potential of Africa’s people and nature.
We’re excited to continue our journey, meet more passionate individuals, and help Africa’s wild places and communities.” said Kingsley.
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