Adventure Afrika

dumela lumela mholo sawubona dumêlag salibonani xewani avuxwni hello hello ndaa welcome

Mountain Passes South Africa put up a few hilarious images on Facebook the other day. The one showed an oxwagon, the other a 1954 Morris Minor with a large hooped tent on the roof. The good folk at MPSA sagely pointed out that rooftop tents are not new, and I had a good laugh at that. In this special one-year anniversary issue, we carry a feature on clamshell rooftop tents, which have all been hailed as the breakthrough of the decade. No question, clamshells are brilliant. The technology has advanced to such a degree they are now lightweight, set up in seconds, and perfectly keep out the harshest of the elements. They are a great way to make overland camping much more convenient, and it’s worth having a good look at…

over to >> you

BRAIN POWER CAMPING FOOD, INGREDIENTS AND RECIPES: Identify the following names of food, recipes and ingredients when camping in South Africa. The words can appear horizontal, vertical or diagonal and can be in any direction. Diaeresis and circumflex are not used. Happy BIRTHDAY tous! This issue is our 12th – a full year since we embarked on this crazy journey of finding and telling your stories. Thank you for your contribution and support! “Congratulations on your first year in the industry, Adventure Afrika! Despite some critics who doubted the sustainability of this newcomer, you have made it! With every edition, the magazine improved – indicative of commitment, hard work and passion. With the quality articles, excellent journalistic contributions, beautiful photos, professional layout and engaging content, this magazine has really gone from strength to strength.…

letters to the editor

Rick and Nathan Marais write: Team Budget Overlander received an invitation to participate in this year's Spirit of Africa event held at the Geluksfontein Private Game Ranch earlier this year. The event is hosted by 11-times SA rally champion, Sarel van der Merwe, and it was an honour to meet him. The all-inclusive Spirit of Africa event provides contestants with tented accommodation, all meals and the use of a 3.0-litre V6 TDI automatic VW Amarok for the competition. The event consists of 13 stages – laid out by SuperVan himself – and includes five technical stages, two reversing stages, one drag race and five speed courses. This is a great event, and we can highly recommend it to any 4x4 adventurer! Onto our wheels for the event: the VW Amarok. We simply loved…

making headlines

Mahindra special editions hit the spot In the past 10 years, Mahindra has evolved from a fairly unknown brand to a serious player in the automotive industry, and in particular, the off-roading and overlanding segment. This is mostly thanks to their rugged, tough-as-nails “halo” cars – the Mahindra Scorpio SUV and Mahindra Pik Up. Both of these utilitarian off-roaders have recently been upgraded. Pik Up Karoo Dusk Inspired by the beautiful vistas of the Karoo, the new Mahindra Karoo Dusk S11 Automatic is a striking lifestyle-focused double cab model based on the S11 Karoo, decked out in a matt black finish, with special acacia-tree inspired Karoo logos and unique Dusk decals. It is fitted with the best on offer in the Mahindra parts catalogue and a few special additions that will be exclusive…

gear & gadgets

Here, birdie, birdie! It does not matter whether you are an avid birdwatcher, nature lover or a complete novice; identifying birds in your garden or while travelling can quickly become an addiction. In the same breath, it can be quite frustrating if you only have a thick bird book as a guide since you can’t always carry it with you on hikes. However, with the Merlin Bird ID app, you can quickly and easily identify birds you see and hear using just your mobile phone. This nifty app provides numerous fun and interactive ways to identify birds: either you answer a few simple questions (such as the bird’s main colours and size), or you can use a photo or a sound recording of the bird in question. Your bird ID will also…

mount anything, anywhere

We have featured RAM Mounts in this section before, giving a basic overview of this company’s rugged and versatile mounting solutions. They claim to have a mount able to secure almost any of your electronic devices anywhere, safe in the knowledge they will be secure no matter where your adventure takes you. That’s quite a claim. We have now had the opportunity to put several of their innovative and uniquely designed products to the test in various conditions, securing cameras, various phones, GoPros and a GPS on our trips, launches and even a 4x4 training event. Unlike similar products we have used in the past, these mounts and their components were built specifically to withstand the toughest and harshest conditions. Their construction is first-class, being made up of durable composite plastics,…