Following the Covid-19 pandemic, Namibia was the first of South Africa’s neighbouring countries to open its borders. Johan and Jana saw the opportunity for an adventure. Months of meticulous planning and mapping ensued before they saddled up and left Cape Town for the Kunene River.
They crossed the border at Vioolsdrif in August 2021 and after 10 weeks of pedalling (including rest days), they reached their final destination, Epupa Falls. From there, they hitchhiked home.
They traversed 3000km of Namibian soil on their epic journey to the Angolan border without any significant mechanical woes. Here’s how they did it and what they learnt along the way.
What inspired the trip?
Johan: I had some spots I’d always dreamt of going to and I thought: “Let’s make this trip about connecting those different places.”
Experiencing the Kaokoveld was going to be the main thing. We wanted to do Van Zyl’s Pass because it’s got a reputation for being hardcore, so that was going to be the
