Chapter 1 : A journey of a thousand miles begins

Our journey begins on a cold winter’s morning in Centurion, the beginning of a long, three-week expedition through the most rugged and unforgiving terrains in Southern Africa. The objective? To prove that Mahindra Pik Up Karoo bakkies are the toughest, most reliable and most capable bakkies on the market. The bakkies in question? Our new flagship authentic bakkie range—the Pik Up Karoo DUSK, Karoo DAWN and Karoo DUSK. Collectively known as our Special Edition Karoo Range.

After leaving the Mahindra Head Office, the expedition of the authentic bakkies headed west to the border of South Africa and Namibia. We passed through Bloemfontein on the way to our first leg in the Northern Cape. This is where the expedition officially started – in Upington.

At the break of dawn, we were met by a fierce cold front, as we drove to the Mahindra Upington dealership. We were greeted with warm refreshments and even warmer smiles from staff and loyal customers, many of whom inquired about the vehicles and the exciting expedition we were embarking on.

We then continued our journey to the Namibia/South Africa border, immediately experiencing the hot and dry weather of the Kalahari Desert, which lay just beyond the border. It’s a good thing this expedition took place towards the tail end of winter because, in the summer, temperatures in the desert can reach a scorching 40°C.

The Kalahari Desert is a unique African landmark and is one of the few pieces of natural land in the world that stretches across three countries (South Africa, Namibia and Botswana). It is also home to one of the biggest diamond mines in the world.

Our arrival in Koes was one for the books; the kindness of a small town is totally unmatched. It is meat hunting season, and the town is at its busiest. You know what they say about all work and no play right? We played a special cricket match with the local kids while in town. The game of cricket in Namibia dates all the way back to 1909 so it was fun for the team to engage in a national pastime and interact with some of the locals before they hit the road again.

After the match, we headed towards the edge of town in anticipation of the Kalahari Red Dunes and the site of the Kalahari Red Dune Route, which has a tough 4×4 trail that our Special Edition Karoo Range easily overcame.

Next, the Expedition Team will be leaving Koës and heading toward a famous Namibian landmark and geological phenomenon that is said to have been formed 180 million years ago! Join us in part two of our ongoing blog series as we explore all that Southern Africa has to offer as we Unleash The Explorer In You!