Driving memories: The Land Rover Defender which the team drove from Joburg to Limpopo.
The allure of Land Rover vehicles, particularly the iconic Defender, runs deep for many of us in Africa.
There’s something undeniably special about these rugged machines that have roamed our continent’s vast landscapes, crisscrossing deserts, savannas and mountains to the most remote villages.
For me, the Land Rover has always been a symbol of family, adventure and the kind of resilience that mirrors the spirit of the continent itself. This bond is not just about a vehicle; it’s about memories, journeys and connections that span generations.
Growing up, my grandfather’s Land Rover Series 3 was the stuff of family legend. It was a 1978 model, though I never got to see it in its full glory. Instead, I grew up encountering it only through the grainy photos that would occasionally surface during visits to my aunt’s house.
Those images would show a corner of the vehicle, sometimes framed against the backdrop of sunlit savanna or dusty roads. In one picture are my aunt and uncle — and you can see the mustard Land Rover in the background, which is how I know it actually existed.
My grandfather, a proud descendant of Mozambique, had driven that Land Rover across Africa, including frequent trips to KwaZulu-Natal — my grandmother’s homeland.
The Land Rover seemed to be the backbone of our family, an essential part of our heritage. More than a mere car, it was a witness to many of our family’s defining moments and it still lives in our stories today.
What I would give to have seen that Land Rover in its prime, to have sat in its seat as it hummed its way through Africa’s terrain. My memory of it was a mere echo from the past; a family treasure I can only imagine.
But, recently, an unexpected opportunity allowed me to experience a modern version of that Land Rover — something that, in a strange way, connected me to those memories.
A week ago, I found myself behind the wheel of a Land Rover Defender, not the 1978 Series 3 my grandfather once drove, but a new model that has evolved to be more powerful, luxurious and advanced.
My journey took me from Johannesburg to Babohi at Qwabi Private Game Reserve, in the Waterberg region of Limpopo, one of the most picturesque and ecologically diverse parts of South Africa.
The drive took about three hours, experiencing all kinds of terrain in a car that can handle tar as well as it can off-road terrain.
But what made the trip even more special was the fact that South African explorer and author Kingsley Holgate, a man whose name is synonymous with African adventure, was part of the convoy.
For many, Holgate is a living legend. The man is an institution when it comes to exploring the farthest corners of the African continent. A seasoned adventurer, humanitarian and the founder of the Kingsley Holgate Foundation, he has crossed borders and landscapes that most of us can only dream of.
His expeditions have taken him to some of the most remote places on the continent, with his Land Rover serving as a trusted companion through the roughest terrains.
Holgate’s name is almost as synonymous with the Land Rover Defender as it is with adventure itself.
The legendary South African explorer Kingsley Holgate was part of the expedition
As I drove along the undulating roads of Limpopo, flanked by expansive bush, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of connection to my family’s legacy.
The Defender I was driving wasn’t my grandfather’s vehicle, but the spirit of that original Land Rover was still alive — alive in every turn of the wheel, in the thrum of the engine, in the dust that it kicked up behind us.
As I looked around at the convoy, including Holgate, I understood more clearly the deep cultural and personal connection so many of us share with these vehicles.
Holgate has his own rich history with the Land Rover. His work and passion have taken him to some of the most far-flung regions, all while driving these rugged machines across kilometres of untamed landscape.
Over the years, the Defender has become more than just a mode of transport for him — it’s a companion, a partner in exploration.
I had the chance to speak to him during the trip and his stories about traversing deserts, mountains and jungles were as captivating as the views around us. It was humbling to hear about his many adventures and the people he’s met along the way.
Each story was an ode to Africa’s indomitable spirit.
His son Ross Kingsley shared a story about how they had once filled the water tanks of a Land Rover on an expedition with rum, which they enjoyed all through Africa.
Beyond the adventure, Holgate’s work has a humanitarian side. His foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of the continent’s most vulnerable populations and his work with Land Rover is a testament to the company’s reputation as a vehicle that not only survives but thrives in Africa’s harshest environments.
It’s a story of how a machine, once just a utilitarian tool for travel, has come to represent something more — community, resilience and, above all, a connection to the land.
The writer’s aunt and uncle Nomsa and Vusi Obisi, with the family’s yellow Land Rover behind them
That journey to the Waterberg was more than just an opportunity to experience a modern-day Land Rover Defender. It was a way for me to piece together the experiences that my family had many years ago.
I could feel the presence of the 1978 Series 3 in the Land Rover I was driving, and I could feel the legacy of that vehicle, and of those who had driven it, coursing through me. It was a reminder that the vehicles we drive are sometimes not mere machines — they are vessels of memory, history and of the stories we carry with us.
For Holgate, the Defender has been a part of his personal odyssey, a symbol of both adventure and purpose. As we convoyed through the African bush, I felt a deep sense of gratitude — not only for the vehicle beneath me but for the heritage that has allowed these journeys to continue, generation after generation.
In a way, my grandfather’s Land Rover is still with us today, a witness to our family’s ongoing adventures.
The Land Rover Defender is a symbol of Africa’s resilience and the people who live it every day, people like Holgate who have made it their life’s mission to explore and protect the continent. And for me, it is a symbol of family, of lost memories and of the unbroken thread that ties us all together through time.