Joburg – He may not have the superstar status of a rock star or soccer player but he’s still arguably one of the most recognised faces on the planet.
And he’s not in it for the money or the fame but to do humanitarian work, mostly in what he calls “Mama Africa”.
He’s one of only a handful of true explorers left, the kind that undertake expeditions that we would give our front teeth for, and to top it he does them in Land Rover Defenders.
If you weren’t sure who I was talking about yet, his name is Kingley. Kingsley Holgate.
And he’s just completed a nine month and 40 000km drive from Cape Agulhas on the southern tip of Africa to the birthplace of Land Rover in Wales in three new Defenders where Maurice Wilks first sketched his design on the beach of Read Wharf Bay.
It took two years to plan the Defender Transcontinental Expedition which was the first one in 30 years to cross the African continent from south to north and was Holgate and company’s 40th geographic and humanitarian odyssey.
As with all his expeditions there’s always a purpose and the first order of business on this one was to ensure that it was carbon neutral.
Before leaving they joined forces with Eastern Cape conservation groups to plant 6 000 indigenous Albany Thicket trees to offset the expedition’s carbon footprint as part of a wilderness restoration project.
They also assisted in launching a One Million Tree-planting programme next to Tanzania’s Serengeti.
Travelling from Africa’s most southern trip to Nordkapp, Europe’s most northern point in Norway's Arctic Circle is probably the most difficult expedition to undertake.
Throw in both Sudans, uprisings across North Africa and Covid restrictions and you have the makings of another epic journey and stories to keep you entertained for hours.
“We knew this was going to be a difficult one when we started planning, but having endured some of the toughest conditions yet and seeing the good work and appreciation of the locals along the way it was absolutely worth it,” said expedition planner Ross Holgate.
“It’s overwhelming to see the smile from a gogo who, because of bad eyesight, hasn’t been able to thread beads to earn a living for years.
“A simple pair of glasses that we take for granted changes her life,” added Kingsley.
Working with Goodbye Malaria they helped thousands of vulnerable pregnant women and mothers with children under the age of five by providing them with mosquito nets
Transborder crossings, travelling through sometimes uncharted territory and dealing with authorities and various malicia also provided its own challenges.
“We were held in a military camp for three days because they didn’t trust what we were doing.
“Like most of the people there we were cooking on fire one evening when a senior soldier came up to us and started talking.
“We explained what the purpose of our mission was and that ultimately we were all Africans and rooted to the continent.
“The following morning we were free to go with an armed escort nogal;” Kingsley said.
As you would expect, paperwork took up a lot of their time.
“Red tape, piles of ever-changing permissions and clearances was invented by the Egyptians,” Ross joked.
“Just when you thought you had everything in place there’s a new piece of paper and a stamp that’s required and ironically there may be two or three ways to get to your destination but you’re only allowed to follow a government approved route.”
Once out of Africa they were again forced to change the drive through Europe as a result of the war in Ukraine.
This saw them travelling through Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Hungary and Slovakia and then through eastern Poland into Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
“We stopped to visit Auschwitz when we went through Poland.
“It’s a poignant reminder of how cruel we as humans can be.
“The piles of glasses and hair of the victims send chills down your spine,” said Kingley.
Crossing the Baltic sea, through the length of Finland and then into Norway to get to the most northern border in Europe the team were met and joined by many enthusiasts with Defenders of all ages, shapes and sizes.
With the final stop in Wales almost in sight, they drove through Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and over the Channel to end off another epic expedition.
As has become customary the end of the journey was marked by emptying the Zulu calabash filled with seawater collected from Africa’s southern tip onto the beach in Wales.
“What has been an overwhelming experience of this journey is how ordinary people in every country we’ve journeyed through, no matter their age, nationality, culture, race or religion, just want to live in peace.
“That’s one of the best things about expanding your horizons through travel and adventure; it gives one hope for the future,” concluded Kingsley.
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