THE DEFINITIVE KINGSLEY HOLGATE INTERVIEW
No one has done more vehicle miles in Africa than the 78-year-old Kingsley Holgate, often called the last of the great explorers. At Front Runner, we call him the old greybeard as he has been using our gear from the very beginning of his impressive travels. Kingsley has visited all of the African countries, some of them countless times, and he uses his adventures to save and improve lives by highlighting wildlife issues, delivering mosquito nets to mothers with babies, and handing out reading glasses to those in need.
He and his family have followed the Tropic of Capricorn around the world, while on another expedition, they followed the outside edge of Africa; they have sailed land yachts around Lake Chew Bahir in southern Ethiopia, you name the African adventure, and they have probably done it. They’re currently on the African Odyssey Expedition, and we caught up with Kingsley as they were about to cross from Namibia into Angola as they made their way north to the Congo, Central African Republic, and Niger.
You once took a convoy of Series I Land Rovers through Lesotho, while your current expedition vehicles are new Defender 130s. What are the main differences?
We love the iconic spirit of the old Landies, which have taken us on countless expeditions. Like so many Land Rover enthusiasts, we mourned the passing of the old Defender’s iconic shape and rugged capability.
We raced in new Defender 110s from Africa's southernmost point to Noordkapp, the northernmost point one can drive to in Norway's Arctic Circle, and then dashed across to Red Wharf Bay in Anglesey, Wales, where 75 years ago, the Wilks brothers drew the first Land Rover in the sand. What an incredible journey, and the three new Defenders never missed a beat.
Now it's the new Defender 130s turn as we use them on an expedition called Afrika Odyssey, a journey to link Community, Culture, and Conservation across Mama Afrika. These prominent Defenders with ample load space are arguably the finest expedition vehicles we've ever used. They’re tough and capable, even in Africa's worst conditions.
You must love the extra space offered by the 130.
A lot has changed with the new Defender 130; the old Defender 130 was a double cab pickup with an extended load bin, which made it the ultimate utilitarian expedition vehicle. The new 130 is an entirely different workhorse, still capable and with extra load space, but built with incredible technology and capability and vastly superior to its older brother. The comfort and ride on the most treacherous roads are world class - we have already completed over 40,000. miles in the new Defender 130 without any issues.
One piece of advice for first-time African travelers.
Always be curious, travel at the pace of Mama Africa, and let the Zen of travel guide you. It's as simple as that.
What makes overlanding in Africa so different to the rest of the world?
In our minds, Africa is still the last frontier of adventure—a kaleidoscope of color, culture, wildlife, vast wild spaces, diverse tribes, magnificent vistas, and a unique feeling that stems from Mama Afrika being the cradle of humankind.
What is your favorite bit of the Front Runner kit, and why?
It must be the Drop Down Tailgate Table, perfect for tailgate lunches and food preparation—it also serves as a great sundowners bar.
You have Front Runner racks on the 130s; how vital are they to your humanitarian work?
One of the most essential pieces of expedition equipment is the Front Runner Roof Rack, and the ability to have so many accessories attached to it makes it a real game changer. These include an awning, spade, sand ladders, extra fuel cans, water cans, tents, and of course the life-saving mosquito nets.
Tell us about the purpose of your current trip.
There's so much doom and gloom around conservation in the media - the killing of rhinos for their horns, elephants for their ivory, as well as threats to pangolins, lions, wild dogs, and other endangered species. Yet, committed rangers and passionate wildlife teams are doing incredible work globally. This current expedition is called Afrika Odyssey, an 18-month journey to link all 22 unique African Parks-managed wildlife areas in 12 countries and the communities and cultures surrounding them.
It's all about uncovering stories of hope for Africa's remaining wild spaces and the people who depend on them. From South Sudan to Garamba in war-torn eastern DRC, to Matusadona National Park on the shores of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, to Kafue National Park (that's the size of Wales), to marine conservation on the Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique. We are truly amazed at the resilience and renaissance happening at all of these places, and it's proving to be an incredible journey of hope and a great adventure in the Defender 130s.
Tell us about some of the other humanitarian work you have done.
Our expeditions always aim to use adventure to improve and save lives. This Afrika Odyssey journey is no exception - the humanitarian work in communities bordering these wildlife areas has been so heart-warming: already, 23,000 mums and children are now safe from malaria; 1,800 reading glasses have returned the gift of sight to mostly older adults in deeply remote regions through our Rite to Sight program, and thousands of children have added fun and laughter through the educational Wildlife Art campaign. So much more still to come...
The traditional Cape to Cairo route is closed due to unrest in Ethiopia and the Sudan. What advice do you have for overlanders?
With some extra paperwork and a few more dollars, Ethiopia is still possible, but N Sudan is out of the question. But that’s Africa—it's all good and bad, all at the same time. Travel in Africa is all about windows of opportunity, and you have to be ready when the time comes.
Do you care to share a few of your hairy African travel moments?
When adventuring in Africa, there are always a few scary moments, some of them quite delightful, such as lions and elephants in camp, hyenas hanging around the cooking pots, and once a massive Nile crocodile on Lake Turkana grabbed one of the pontoons of our inflatable boats and shredded it to pieces. We tied it all up with some old bicycle tubing and continued pumping it up as we traveled north to the Omo Delta in southern Ethiopia.
Then there are the medical emergencies that crop up—malaria, veld sores, cuts that need stitching, even influenza can cause hairy moments—and we carry a well-stocked first aid kit for those types of things.
But there are also more severe emergencies - like Sheelagh recently getting stung by a venomous scorpion on the banks of the Cunene River on the border between Namibia and Angola and needing urgent medivac to a hospital 160km away for treatment. That's when our contacts and friends built up over many years play a vital, life-saving role.
Where are the best places to camp in Africa?
Honestly, our very best places to camp are wild camps - somewhere you find off the road away from people - plenty of firewood and open sky - sometimes they are as basic as a disused quarry, other times a sand forest or a beach camp in Mauritania using the sea as your first bath in weeks.
Which are your favorite African foods?
In Tanzania, we love Chipsi Mayai (egg omelette fried with chips, onions, tomatoes, and chili) - delicious, cheap roadside fare freshly made at foodstalls in almost every village. We also like buying fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, roadrunner chicken, or goat meat from the colorful village markets in Africa. West Africa also has some delicious fare - like 'red-red' - one of Ghana's signature dishes made with cowpeas cooked in red palm oil with tomatoes.
