Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 7 (May 2021) i Adventure Afrika

While Peugeot might not be a top-selling brand in South Africa it has – thanks to the influx of new products and increased dealer footprint and parts availability, no doubt – seen a steady increase in sales over the last few months. The 3008 has enjoyed great success globally, with around 800 000 vehicles produced since its launch in 2016 and scooping the coveted New Car of the Year award in 2017. The latest model seems to improve on that winning formula substantially. Peugeot designers are certainly not shy when designing their cars and the new crop of machines headed our way are truly eye-catching. The new 3008 sets the tone for a new era of modernity with more elegance, a redesigned front end, new full LED rear lights, new…

Many of my clients pose the question: "Do you do this full-time?" And, upon hearing my affirmation, various comments are voiced, the most popular being, "So you are always on holiday – what a life!". Well, I suppose there is some truth to that and I am blessed to be able to live my passion. However, planning and executing adventure and overlanding trips, especially with paying customers behind you in convoy, takes many weeks of planning. Always on holiday? Maybe. Driven by adventure? Always! Prepared for any situation? Most definitely. One of my favourite adventures – which I have embarked on many times – is taking on the famous Hunters Road in Botswana during the wet season. Why during the challenging wet season, you may wonder… The simple answer is:…

We traversed the East of Uganda and travelled about 2 000 km to see a total of 15 new primates and 482 birds, 224 of which were on our bucket list. The roads between parks are well maintained, but in the National Parks your require a 4x4. The park fees are expensive, but there are several accommodation options to suit every pocket – from camping to luxury and even super-luxury lodges. South Africans need a visa for Uganda, and it is important to get it in place before booking your gorilla experience. You can tour alone or in a tour group, but we would recommend using a local guide. This time we have chosen to rent a 4x4 and guide, but we are planning a self-drive safari in 2022. If…

First off: always choose the lightest trailer or caravan available – take it from someone who has tried many options throughout my towing life! When going offroad, even the featherweights tend to feel like an anchor – so make sure your trailer fits your vehicle’s towing capabilities. Trailer break over and departure angles The vehicle's break-over angle is normally constant while this aspect for a trailer/caravan is constantly changing as obstacles are negotiated. This means that the trailer's chassis can easily become snagged on obstacles that the tow vehicle may have cleared, with the biggest culprit usually being low-slung jacking points and jockey wheels. To prevent this, ensure that the jockey wheel can easily be removed and stowed away and that there are no other parts that protrude below the…

Starting with the very first accessory I installed onto the Hilux myself shortly after taking delivery – the EZDown Reloaded tailgate assist. In my opinion, this is an absolute must for every bakkie. What a practical, inexpensive and easy-to-install accessory that makes the arduous task of opening and closing the tailgate so much easier. And now that my tailgate opened all on its own thanks to a remote and exposed the empty bin, the next questions I had to figure out was how to stop everything from sliding around and keep all my gear organised? I have never been a big fan of drawer systems as they take up most of the space in your bin, but the drawers tend to be small because they are limited to space between…

As avid campers, we are often asked what makes camping fun? Or what we want in a campsite or holiday resort. Well, my husband and I love camping, pitching our tent at least twice a month, and our answer to these questions is always easy: "We want to feel at home." With this we refer to that warm feeling resembling a homecoming. You should feel at home – almost as if visiting your folks or close family. As with your own home, you should feel safe, secure and feel that your hosts care about your comfort and wellbeing. We have travelled all over this country and visited many beautiful campsites during our camping adventures. We recently discovered a real gem: the Bosfontein Caravan Resort, near Bela-Bela. The owners, Deon and…

The automotive industry contributes 6.4 percent to South Africa's gross domestic product (4 percent manufacturing and 2.4 percent retail) and accounts for 30.1 percent of South Africa's manufacturing output. It is the country's fifth-largest exporting sector out of all 104 industries and accounts for 13.9 percent of total exports. Therefore, it is an essential industry and as such not without red tape and complexities – more often than not, infringing on the customer's rights. Right to Repair aims to remove much of this red tape. The current situation When you purchase a new vehicle or a reasonably new used vehicle, you will find that the car comes with a service plan and warranty. This is a nice-to-have benefit, but it comes with some strict guidelines. South Africa is one of…

Blessed with awe-inspiring natural wonders, an abundance of wildlife, massive water bodies, vast open spaces and even its own beach, Zambia offers unforgettable adventures. Here, in the warm heart of Africa, you will find some of the finest safari experiences on the planet, including face to face encounters with nature at its most wild. Spectacular waterways provide adrenaline-filled thrills or a leisurely playground of activities fit for all ages. Everything one can ask for in an adventure and then some. Lower Zambezi National Park If you have ever sat with your early morning coffee in Nyamepi Camp in Mana Pools and gazed across the Zambezi river, consider yourself blessed. You have laid eyes on Lower Zambezi National Park, running along the northern side of the Zambezi River. Together these two…

Waking up at 4:00 in the morning to pack any loose odds and ends to hit the road for the four-hour drive to a place you have visited many times before must seem like one of the worst things a person can do on a Thursday… However, both me and my colleague (and father), Anton Snr, were filled with child-like excitement. Yes, we have gone through this routine of early-morning departure and a coffee stop at the popular Alzu Petroport on the N4 en route to the Kruger National Park a thousand times before… Yet, the promise of what we could potentially see and experience still gets our engines revving! And speaking of revving engines: our chariot for the weekend is another familiar for South Africans, being the country's topselling…

The Bundutec Defender Trophy is a family orientated overland event born out of the love for Land Rover Defenders, the great outdoors, camping in the wilderness and exploring the magic of Southern Africa with like-minded people. What about the competition part then, I hear you ask. Ha, that is a daily questionnaire with questions relating to the local fauna and flora, culture and, of course, interesting facts about the iconic Defender. The team with the highest score is declared the winners. However, as one of the participants in the 2021 event through the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) event commented: “Everyone is a winner on the Defender Trophy!” Speaking of this year’s event… Initially scheduled for 2020, organisers had to cancel it due to the global pandemic. However, this delay…

Vagabond's range of Teardrop Caravans – Rogue, Drifter and Roamer – is sure to meet your needs in terms of space, affordability, comfort and security. EVOFibre (PTY) Ltd manufactures the teardrops caravans, and with over 50 years of combined caravan, outdoor and fibreglass manufacturing experience, they have established themselves as a favourite among young travellers, small families and retired adventurers. Vagabond Caravans started their journey in 2009 when they decided to make South Africa's first Fibreglass Teardrop Caravan. Director and owner Bryce Lund believes his company's success can be attributed to understanding what customers need from their home away from home. When chatting with us about some tips when embarking on finding a caravan or trailer for your adventures, he said it could be difficult as the market is filled…

Send yours to us at: info@4x4afrika.com Anton Smith 1996 Toyota Hilux 2.8 diesel (fitted with a Lexus V8 conversion and auto gearbox) “Old school is definitely best. I have found that my 1996 Hilux – nicknamed the Green Mamba – is more capable on 4x4 terrains than the newer models. In fact, I owned a 2006 Toyota Hilux V6, which we sold to get this one! I am a huge 4x4 enthusiast and enjoy the outdoors and eco-camping. My ride is fitted with all the necessary camping gear to venture off the grid as regularly as possible. We love to camp remote with little to no facilities and try to complete two to three 4x4 trails in a month as it is our way of relaxing. Getting close to nature,…

Identify the 73 towns, cities, settlements and places in Southern-Africa in the above block. It can appear horizontal, vertical or diagonal and can be in any direction. Diaeresis, lower case and circumflex are not used. ADDO BALLITO CAROLINA DELMAS EMALAHLENI GANSBAAI HOGSBAG KAAPSTAD KIMBERLEY LENZ MARA MODJADJISKLOOF OKAVANGO PELLA REIVILO TEMBISA TSOLO WELKOM ZEBEDIELA ALICE BISI CERES DIE HEL ERMELO GARIES INDWE KAGISO KLERKSDORP LICHTENBURG MBOMBELA MUSINA OKIEP POLOKWANE SABIE TLOKWE UGIE WUPPERTHAL ZEERUST AMANZIMTOTI BRAKPAN CHRIS HANI BARAGWANATH ELIM ETHEKWINI GAUTENG IRENE KARATARA LAAIPLEK LIMPOPO MICA NCORA ORANIA QUNU SADA TONGAAT VIVO YZERFONTEIN AUGRABIES CALVINIA ELOFF FOCHVILLE HILTON IXOPO KATHU LANGEBAAN MANGAUNG MODIMOLLE NIGEL PAARL RANDFONTEIN SOWETO TSHWANE WARDEN ZASTRON **WORDBLOCK PREPARED BY LOUIS KROUWKAMP…

Pimp your Ranger Responding to ongoing customer and market trends, Ford South Africa launched new accessories and feature upgrades that will be available throughout its network of over 100 dealers countrywide. These accessories have been developed and tested to carry Ford's original equipment quality and workmanship guarantee. Some of the highlights in the accessory range include a Ranger Raptor-style grille for the XL, XLS and XLT derivatives; as well as a sleek power roller shutter for the Ranger Wildtrak. The return of a legend Following hot on the heels of the updated Forester, Subaru has sent word that we can also expect the imminent arrival of the all-new Subaru Outback SUV. The new Outback is the next step in the evolution of the SUV wagon that Subaru pioneered 27 years…

Many of us are sceptical of venturing into deep, dark Africa to explore, but in the face of the declining numbers of eastern mountain gorillas – and because it has been a lifelong dream of ours to see them in their natural habitat – we decided to be brave! Little did we know that the trip to Uganda would involve so much more than just the endangered gorillas! After plenty of research, we decided to fly to Uganda and rent a 4x4 vehicle there with a guide – and after our tour, we can confirm it was the best decision. The option is not necessarily cheaper, but when you need to squeeze a tour that usually takes three weeks into twelve days, it helps to have a local guide who…

Toyota launched the Urban Cruiser earlier this year, and from the first sighting, I loved its looks. But will it have the chops expected from a Toyota? We sampled the 1.5XR MT during our trip, and I have to say I was slightly sceptical about the little 1.5-litre engine as a proper adventure vehicle. Reading up on the specs, I noticed a towing capacity of 400 kg unbraked and 1 100 kg unbraked. Now we're talking! After a few calls, our test unit was fitted with a tow bar and with a micro camper in tow, we headed off to the Kruger National Park. My biggest worry was that the trailer would be bobbing and bouncing behind me, but this little trailer and the Urban Cruiser were a match made…

The seed for this adventurous road trip was planted late last year when Margaret together with adventurer Danie Botha arranged the Suzuki Jimny 50th anniversary media event. She got the opportunity to drive the 1984 Suzuki SJ410 when returning it to the owner they rented it from. When she got home, she told Colin she wanted the original. Since he subscribes to the "happy wife – happy life" philosophy, he set out to find her dream car. After a couple of weeks of scouring the internet and interest groups, they found the perfect one and Margaret started to plan an epic road trip to collect it. Since she believes the greatest part of a road trip is not arriving at your destination, but rather the wild stuff happening along the…

Gamkaskloof is surrounded by the Swartberg Nature Reserve and winds through 37 km of rugged mountain scenery, culminating in the vertigo-rush, single-width Elands Pass. It ends in the Gamkaskloof – reminiscent of a lush oasis and paradoxically nicknamed Die Hel (The Hell). We discourage anyone from attempting to complete this as an out and back drive in a single day due to the slow average speed of around 25 km/h. Besides the time issue, it would be a shame to have to rush through this magnificent part of South Africa and not have the time to allow the Gamkaskloof to work its magic on you. Drive up the magnificent Thomas Bain built Swartberg Pass from either Prince Albert in the north or via Oudtshoorn in the south. In the middle…

In 1998, Mercedes launched their first luxury SUV, the M-Class (W163), which was supposed to replace the old G-wagon. However, their customers did not support this move and today they still build and sell both of these vehicles. Although this was the German brand's first attempt at a luxury SUV, it was still a proper 4x4 with low range and a special off-road traction control system. Fast forward four years, and onto the scene burst the first VW Touareg. As far as luxury SUVs go, this was even better. It had a decent transfer case with low range, and you were even able to get it with a rear locking differential. These vehicles were built to compete against established luxury 4x4 names like the Toyota Land Cruiser 100, the Nissan…

Mischke Bosse is undoubtedly living the dream of every overlander and adventurer, constantly travelling and and seeking the next thrill. For her, this dream would have remained just that if it was not for her trusty steed – the maroon-brown Jeep Cherokee, which celebrated its 21st birthday last year. "It's home! When I started planning a year-long trip where I'd be living on the road while travelling through Southern Africa full time, I realised my old Mercedes sedan would never be a long-term overlanding vehicle… Trust me, I tried! I needed something more practical and off-road capable," she said, talking about her "work husband". While chatting to us, Mischke fondly recalled her first meeting with a Cherokee. Before buying the Jeep, en route to some trip, she noticed a Jeep…