Journey to South Africa - A 21-Day Road Trip Across Africa - Part 1

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."

Saint Augustine

We started this journey on Saturday, the 28th of March 2026. But as happens with epic adventures, life kept us busy - up and down during the trip itself - so I'm only writing about it now, on the 2nd of April 2026. Some experiences are better captured fresh, but this one deserves to be documented properly.

This isn't just any road trip. This is a 21-day, 10,000 km odyssey across Southern Africa with 5 of us crammed in one car, chasing sunsets, crossing borders, and creating stories we'll be telling for years to come.

The Basics

• Duration: 21 days (28th March - 17th April 2026)
• Travelers: 5 people
• Total Distance: Approximately 12,550 km
• Vehicle: 1 car
• Budget: KSH 257,500 (approximately KES 196,000 including miscellaneous)

The Route So Far

Our journey is taking us through Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, and back. Here's our itinerary:

Note: This is our planned itinerary. As with any road trip across Africa, not everything went to plan - detours, delays, and unexpected adventures awaited us. This is the schedule we started with, but the road had its own ideas.

Day-by-Day Planned Itinerary

Day 1: Nairobi to Iringa (28/03/2026)

Day 2: Iringa to Tunduma (29/03/2026)

Day 3: Tunduma to Lusaka (30/03/2026)

Day 4: Lusaka Rest Day (31/03/2026)

Day 5: Lusaka to Livingstone (01/04/2026)

Day 6: Livingstone Rest Day (02/04/2026)

Full day to explore Victoria Falls and surrounding activities.

Day 7: Livingstone to Windhoek (03/04/2026)

Days 8-12: Windhoek & Cape Town

Windhoek rest day, then drive to Cape Town for 3 days of exploration:

• Table Mountain cable car
• Chapman's Drive
• Boulders Beach penguins
• Robben Island
• Two Ocean Aquarium
• Franschhoek wine tram
• Cape of Good Hope

Days 13-14: Johannesburg

Day 16: Harare (12/04/2026)

Days 18-21: Return Journey

Via Chirundu border back to Zambia, then through Tunduma and back to Nairobi.

Where We Are Now

We're currently in Livingstone, Zambia - the adventure capital of Southern Africa! Today we explored the mighty Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya), one of the largest waterfalls in the world. The falls are absolutely breathtaking - the mist rises high above the gorge, and the sound of water crashing down is both terrifying and mesmerizing.

Tomorrow, we head to Windhoek, Namibia - a big drive ahead of us. We're preparing for the long haul through the Caprivi Strip, crossing into Namibia via the Kazungula Border.

Highlights Ahead

We're especially looking forward to:

• Tomorrow's drive to Windhoek through the Capriti Strip
• Exploring Cape Town - Table Mountain, Chapman's Drive, Boulders Beach penguins
• The Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill in Johannesburg
• Balancing Rocks in Harare
• Wine tasting in Franschhoek

Lessons We're Learning

Every road trip teaches you something. Already we've learned about patience (border crossings), planning (fuel stops in remote areas), and the beauty of Africa's landscapes. The journey is long, sometimes exhausting, but absolutely worth every kilometer.

As we say in Swahili, "Safari njema" - have a good journey. And ours is nothing short of extraordinary.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our adventure...