Discussion
So, Im thinking of spending some time in southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, possibly Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Angola too)
Ive never been to Africa before. Im in my early 20s, relatively healthy guy, etc.
What Id like to do is buy a car there (A Toyota Land Cruiser would be ideal, but budget might dictate a Land Rover Discovery, but thats not really relevant) and make my own way around, a few months at a time, then storing it and coming back to the UK for work.
So the first question is, is it even possibly? I dont know how the car-buying process works in South Africa, but I presume Id need to register it in my name? Is this possible without having an address?
Secondly - camping - are there campsites like there are in the UK? Are they generally quite safe (from both theft and violence), and wild camping, Ive read that its a bad idea, particularly in South Africa.
Third, storage, are there places where I could store a car full of stuff for months, or possibly a few years at a time, and hope to find it all there and intact when I come back? Roughly how much would this cost?
And lastly, safety. This is the one where I really don't know what to think. Some people would have me think its more dangerous than Gaza, and some people reckon its no worse than London, Birmingham, Manchester, or any other large city in England. I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle? Im not a very flashy person, no fancy watch, fancy clothes, fancy car, or anything like that. On the other hand, I can appreciate that the change in my pocket might feed someones family for a week. If someone points a gun at me and wants my wallet/car/whatever, obviously Im going to give it to them, but if being hijacked is a certainty, then Ill save myself a lot of money and stick to Europe.
Im a tad fed up with the UK, the weather is crap, and there are so many rules and hoops to jump through to do everything, and everything is so expensive. It has crossed my mind that I might like to move abroad in the future, and Australia is obviously the place to be right now, but I find South Africa to be a much more interesting place, and definately somewhere Id like to explore if Ive got the chance.
Would love to hear your inputs, thanks in advance!
Ive never been to Africa before. Im in my early 20s, relatively healthy guy, etc.
What Id like to do is buy a car there (A Toyota Land Cruiser would be ideal, but budget might dictate a Land Rover Discovery, but thats not really relevant) and make my own way around, a few months at a time, then storing it and coming back to the UK for work.
So the first question is, is it even possibly? I dont know how the car-buying process works in South Africa, but I presume Id need to register it in my name? Is this possible without having an address?
Secondly - camping - are there campsites like there are in the UK? Are they generally quite safe (from both theft and violence), and wild camping, Ive read that its a bad idea, particularly in South Africa.
Third, storage, are there places where I could store a car full of stuff for months, or possibly a few years at a time, and hope to find it all there and intact when I come back? Roughly how much would this cost?
And lastly, safety. This is the one where I really don't know what to think. Some people would have me think its more dangerous than Gaza, and some people reckon its no worse than London, Birmingham, Manchester, or any other large city in England. I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle? Im not a very flashy person, no fancy watch, fancy clothes, fancy car, or anything like that. On the other hand, I can appreciate that the change in my pocket might feed someones family for a week. If someone points a gun at me and wants my wallet/car/whatever, obviously Im going to give it to them, but if being hijacked is a certainty, then Ill save myself a lot of money and stick to Europe.
Im a tad fed up with the UK, the weather is crap, and there are so many rules and hoops to jump through to do everything, and everything is so expensive. It has crossed my mind that I might like to move abroad in the future, and Australia is obviously the place to be right now, but I find South Africa to be a much more interesting place, and definately somewhere Id like to explore if Ive got the chance.
Would love to hear your inputs, thanks in advance!
Purchasing a vehicle in South Africa, or any of the other countries you've mentioned, typically requires proof of residence.
Regarding safety, the perception of risk can vary greatly. Southern African countries, much like anywhere else, have areas that are safer than others.
Finally, it's advisable to conduct a reconnaissance trip if possible, allowing you to get a feel for the places you intend to explore more deeply and to establish local contacts ...
Regarding safety, the perception of risk can vary greatly. Southern African countries, much like anywhere else, have areas that are safer than others.
Finally, it's advisable to conduct a reconnaissance trip if possible, allowing you to get a feel for the places you intend to explore more deeply and to establish local contacts ...
Just returned from living there for three years.
Car purchase - harder than it should be. Not totally impossible. You’ll need residence and a permit. The permit is tough, it shouldn’t be, but the processing time is crazy. Think years. However there are people who can assist with expediting for a fee. It’s worth the fee. Often same people selling cars can help.
Camping - thousands of South Africans do this every week. It’s great.
Security - you need to know where and when you’re going. Do - speak to locals to get advise. Don’t - blindly follow maps.
Storage - seen a lot of self storage places popping up. Not used them though.
Car - check out a Toyota Fortuner. It’s the most ubiquitous Southern Africa car for a reason.
The best advice is in the above reply. Go do a recce for a few weeks. Rent a car (of the type you want to buy). Plan a road trip.
Feel free to ask more.
Car purchase - harder than it should be. Not totally impossible. You’ll need residence and a permit. The permit is tough, it shouldn’t be, but the processing time is crazy. Think years. However there are people who can assist with expediting for a fee. It’s worth the fee. Often same people selling cars can help.
Camping - thousands of South Africans do this every week. It’s great.
Security - you need to know where and when you’re going. Do - speak to locals to get advise. Don’t - blindly follow maps.
Storage - seen a lot of self storage places popping up. Not used them though.
Car - check out a Toyota Fortuner. It’s the most ubiquitous Southern Africa car for a reason.
The best advice is in the above reply. Go do a recce for a few weeks. Rent a car (of the type you want to buy). Plan a road trip.
Feel free to ask more.
paddy1970 said:
Purchasing a vehicle in South Africa, or any of the other countries you've mentioned, typically requires proof of residence.
Regarding safety, the perception of risk can vary greatly. Southern African countries, much like anywhere else, have areas that are safer than others.
Finally, it's advisable to conduct a reconnaissance trip if possible, allowing you to get a feel for the places you intend to explore more deeply and to establish local contacts ...
Okay, so purchasing the car might be tricky, Ill have to look into it further.Regarding safety, the perception of risk can vary greatly. Southern African countries, much like anywhere else, have areas that are safer than others.
Finally, it's advisable to conduct a reconnaissance trip if possible, allowing you to get a feel for the places you intend to explore more deeply and to establish local contacts ...
I did think about renting a car for the first time, and I had a quick check on the Avis website, and its about 10,000 rand to rent a small hatchback for 2 weeks, or about 4 times that to rent a Fortuner. So for the same price as renting the Fortuner, I could a Discovery 300tdi outright, check it over and make sure its all working properly. I think thats a much more useful way to use a short recon trip, because the places I want to visit will probably take me years to enjoy, with lots of planning on maps and on the internet before even flying out there.
dtaylo2 said:
Just returned from living there for three years.
Car purchase - harder than it should be. Not totally impossible. You’ll need residence and a permit. The permit is tough, it shouldn’t be, but the processing time is crazy. Think years. However there are people who can assist with expediting for a fee. It’s worth the fee. Often same people selling cars can help.
Camping - thousands of South Africans do this every week. It’s great.
Security - you need to know where and when you’re going. Do - speak to locals to get advise. Don’t - blindly follow maps.
Storage - seen a lot of self storage places popping up. Not used them though.
Car - check out a Toyota Fortuner. It’s the most ubiquitous Southern Africa car for a reason.
The best advice is in the above reply. Go do a recce for a few weeks. Rent a car (of the type you want to buy). Plan a road trip.
Feel free to ask more.
Thanks, as mentioned, renting isnt really any cheaper than buying, and if I buy a car on the first trip, then on the second trip Im ready to go. Exploring the places is where the fun is, organising the paperwork, planning the routes and sorting the car are all logistical issues, and so the more of them I can get out of the way to start with, the better.Car purchase - harder than it should be. Not totally impossible. You’ll need residence and a permit. The permit is tough, it shouldn’t be, but the processing time is crazy. Think years. However there are people who can assist with expediting for a fee. It’s worth the fee. Often same people selling cars can help.
Camping - thousands of South Africans do this every week. It’s great.
Security - you need to know where and when you’re going. Do - speak to locals to get advise. Don’t - blindly follow maps.
Storage - seen a lot of self storage places popping up. Not used them though.
Car - check out a Toyota Fortuner. It’s the most ubiquitous Southern Africa car for a reason.
The best advice is in the above reply. Go do a recce for a few weeks. Rent a car (of the type you want to buy). Plan a road trip.
Feel free to ask more.
Have you any advice on how to find safe places to camp? Obviously safety is a relative thing, Im not made of sugar, but then I equally dont want to wake up and find that all my stuff is missing, or worse.
I had a quick look for Fortuners, theyre certainly capable enough for what I want to do, at least for the first few years. But theyre 3 or 4 times the price of the Land Rovers, and I do know my way around the Land Rovers because I've got one here in the UK. The old Discovery is also such a capable offroad car that Id be far less worried about having to turn back if the tracks get really technical (after Ive got a few more trips under my belt)
Residency - this is the sticking point really for me, because from what I understand, I need this in order to buy a car. Now I would only be in South Africa for a few months at a time at most, during the UK winter (SA summer) period, and the first trip would only be a couple of weeks, maybe up to 4 weeks if I was having the time of my life there. The only way around this that I can see is finding someone trustworthy who lives there, and registering the car in their name, although I can already think of a dozen reasons why nobody would be willing to let some randomer register a car in their name...
What about bringing numberplates and VIN plates from my UK-registered discovery, and sticking them on one I buy in South Africa? I presume this isnt an option because A.) Changing the VIN is probably illegal and B.) There would be no record of that car arriving into the country, and so it would get noticed pretty quickly that something fishy was going on. Im just guessing, Ive no idea how things work over there, but I dont see why it would be significantly different to here, or anywhere else. Any other ideas? Mine are all a bit uninformed and rubbish.
Thanks!
Or consider going down a band or two if you are travelling alone.
XTrail, levet.
This coped perfectly well with sand roads, gravel roads. The four wheel drive essential requirement is a bit of a fallacy,
The off tarmac driving is all about technique and there's always the locals to help you out if needed. It's a can do attitude that you'll find, not our UK can't do - won't help attitude.
The renters with the bakkie full expedition set up, external shovels, jerry cans look just the same as the UK 4x4 crews.
dtaylo2 said:
Just returned from living there for three years.
Car purchase - harder than it should be. Not totally impossible. You’ll need residence and a permit. The permit is tough, it shouldn’t be, but the processing time is crazy. Think years. However there are people who can assist with expediting for a fee. It’s worth the fee. Often same people selling cars can help.
Camping - thousands of South Africans do this every week. It’s great.
Security - you need to know where and when you’re going. Do - speak to locals to get advise. Don’t - blindly follow maps.
Storage - seen a lot of self storage places popping up. Not used them though.
Car - check out a Toyota Fortuner. It’s the most ubiquitous Southern Africa car for a reason.
The best advice is in the above reply. Go do a recce for a few weeks. Rent a car (of the type you want to buy). Plan a road trip.
Feel free to ask more.
In theory you can buy without residence on a tourist visa but the process is laughably complicated. TRN required to get you on eNatis which is a hoop jumping exercise followed by more pain and bureaucracy and probably all going to take more than the 90 day visa lasts. I would stick with hiring like you suggest, that way if you do have any issues it falls to the rental company to sort them out. Car purchase - harder than it should be. Not totally impossible. You’ll need residence and a permit. The permit is tough, it shouldn’t be, but the processing time is crazy. Think years. However there are people who can assist with expediting for a fee. It’s worth the fee. Often same people selling cars can help.
Camping - thousands of South Africans do this every week. It’s great.
Security - you need to know where and when you’re going. Do - speak to locals to get advise. Don’t - blindly follow maps.
Storage - seen a lot of self storage places popping up. Not used them though.
Car - check out a Toyota Fortuner. It’s the most ubiquitous Southern Africa car for a reason.
The best advice is in the above reply. Go do a recce for a few weeks. Rent a car (of the type you want to buy). Plan a road trip.
Feel free to ask more.
As you say camping in Southern Africa is a hugely popular pastime with well equipped sites and cheap too.
Great advice on security and not blindly following satnav. Common sense goes a long way. Not walking around looking like rich pickings and remaining aware of your surroundings is important. Driving at night outside the wealthy suburbs is inadvisable.
Regarding model of car. South Africans love a pickup, rangers and hiluxes are everywhere, no idea on pricing because my research ended at the process for purchasing a car.
RGG said:
Or consider going down a band or two if you are travelling alone.
XTrail, levet.
This coped perfectly well with sand roads, gravel roads. The four wheel drive essential requirement is a bit of a fallacy,
The off tarmac driving is all about technique and there's always the locals to help you out if needed. It's a can do attitude that you'll find, not our UK can't do - won't help attitude.
The renters with the bakkie full expedition set up, external shovels, jerry cans look just the same as the UK 4x4 crews.
Thanks - the discussion of which car to pick isnt particularly relevant, but Ill justify my choice. So the reasons for me personally picking a 300tdi discovery are 1.) Im familiar with the vehicle, I know what tools are needed to fix it, and I can perform basic repairs and servicing even in the middle of nowhere. I also have a pretty good idea of what spare parts I should bring, and I know how to get the most out of it offroad etc etc. 2.) Its got excellent fuel consumption, because its got a relatively small turbo diesel engine, its not particularly heavy, etc etc. 3.) Its very comfortable, being coil sprung with big tyres. 4.) Theyre cheap. Infact given their overall condition, Id say that theyre even cheaper in South Africa than they are here in the UK. Im fully expecting that whatever I buy may well need a bloody good service before tackling the bush, so to speak. And it goes without saying that on top of the car, Ill need to buy some good tyres (probably the new BFG KO3s) since I doubt Ill be lucky enough to sumble upon one with a decent set of boots on it. Ill also need some basic camping equipment, and all the other stuff one needs to not die for a few weeks.XTrail, levet.
This coped perfectly well with sand roads, gravel roads. The four wheel drive essential requirement is a bit of a fallacy,
The off tarmac driving is all about technique and there's always the locals to help you out if needed. It's a can do attitude that you'll find, not our UK can't do - won't help attitude.
The renters with the bakkie full expedition set up, external shovels, jerry cans look just the same as the UK 4x4 crews.
Obviously there are plenty of other vehicles that are just as good, if not better, in some or all of those aspects, but none are as cheap, and I am not a rich guy, Im in my early 20s and Id rather spend my money on exploring amazing places than in the pub every weekend, or avocado on toast, or whetever else it is that people do with their money.
I spoke to someone who organises the Africa Rally, and he said what they normally do is register vehicles on behalf of people who arent residents, and then scrap them at the end of the event.
djc206 said:
In theory you can buy without residence on a tourist visa but the process is laughably complicated. TRN required to get you on eNatis which is a hoop jumping exercise followed by more pain and bureaucracy and probably all going to take more than the 90 day visa lasts. I would stick with hiring like you suggest, that way if you do have any issues it falls to the rental company to sort them out.
As you say camping in Southern Africa is a hugely popular pastime with well equipped sites and cheap too.
Great advice on security and not blindly following satnav. Common sense goes a long way. Not walking around looking like rich pickings and remaining aware of your surroundings is important. Driving at night outside the wealthy suburbs is inadvisable.
Regarding model of car. South Africans love a pickup, rangers and hiluxes are everywhere, no idea on pricing because my research ended at the process for purchasing a car.
Thanks, wheres the best place to find out more about that process? Is it something I could start here in the UK, so that its all ready to go once I get there?As you say camping in Southern Africa is a hugely popular pastime with well equipped sites and cheap too.
Great advice on security and not blindly following satnav. Common sense goes a long way. Not walking around looking like rich pickings and remaining aware of your surroundings is important. Driving at night outside the wealthy suburbs is inadvisable.
Regarding model of car. South Africans love a pickup, rangers and hiluxes are everywhere, no idea on pricing because my research ended at the process for purchasing a car.
And relying on a hire company to come to the rescue if the car breaks in the middle of nowhere isnt actually the most comforting thought. I also suspect a hire car might not have the most suitable tyres (I definately cant afford to hire from a specialist offroad place, it would be a Fortuner or equivelant from Avis). Come to think of it, if the car I happened to hire didnt have a spare wheel/tyre, that could very easilly be game over.
Something else thats just sprung to mind on the security aspect, Id imagine that a scruffy 25-30 year old land rover discovery is a far less appealing target than the shiny SUV that Id get from the Avis desk.
LotsOfLaughs said:
Thanks, wheres the best place to find out more about that process? Is it something I could start here in the UK, so that its all ready to go once I get there?
And relying on a hire company to come to the rescue if the car breaks in the middle of nowhere isnt actually the most comforting thought. I also suspect a hire car might not have the most suitable tyres (I definately cant afford to hire from a specialist offroad place, it would be a Fortuner or equivelant from Avis). Come to think of it, if the car I happened to hire didnt have a spare wheel/tyre, that could very easilly be game over.
Something else thats just sprung to mind on the security aspect, Id imagine that a scruffy 25-30 year old land rover discovery is a far less appealing target than the shiny SUV that Id get from the Avis desk.
You need to get your documents certified which has to be done there. Tbh it looks like very hard work, I only briefly investigated it as we’re looking to buy an apartment in SA so I’m by no means an expert.And relying on a hire company to come to the rescue if the car breaks in the middle of nowhere isnt actually the most comforting thought. I also suspect a hire car might not have the most suitable tyres (I definately cant afford to hire from a specialist offroad place, it would be a Fortuner or equivelant from Avis). Come to think of it, if the car I happened to hire didnt have a spare wheel/tyre, that could very easilly be game over.
Something else thats just sprung to mind on the security aspect, Id imagine that a scruffy 25-30 year old land rover discovery is a far less appealing target than the shiny SUV that Id get from the Avis desk.
The government link is here explaining the pointlessly complicated process that I’m going to hazard most people driving around in South Africa have not gone through.
https://www.gov.za/services/driving-licence-drivin...
lol at the “may take up to 6 weeks” bit
Toyota Fortuner or Hilux is truly the only realistic practical vehicle, other than a Nissan / Mitsubishi equivalent. Vehicles in SA only have a "roadworthy certificate" when they change hands, so no annual MOT. You are then at the mercy of a vehicle which, at the age you intend buying, will have a sketchy maintenance record.
Ask anyone who has gone bush in SA, and they will likely say the same. Toyota are ubiquitous throughout the 3rd and developing world, for very good reason.
If you want to get the answers that you actually want to hear, then it's fine to do so, but real world advice has much greater value.
I have lived in Cape Town most of my life, and still visit regularly.
Ask anyone who has gone bush in SA, and they will likely say the same. Toyota are ubiquitous throughout the 3rd and developing world, for very good reason.
If you want to get the answers that you actually want to hear, then it's fine to do so, but real world advice has much greater value.
I have lived in Cape Town most of my life, and still visit regularly.
Semmelweiss said:
Toyota Fortuner or Hilux is truly the only realistic practical vehicle, other than a Nissan / Mitsubishi equivalent. Vehicles in SA only have a "roadworthy certificate" when they change hands, so no annual MOT. You are then at the mercy of a vehicle which, at the age you intend buying, will have a sketchy maintenance record.
Ask anyone who has gone bush in SA, and they will likely say the same. Toyota are ubiquitous throughout the 3rd and developing world, for very good reason.
If you want to get the answers that you actually want to hear, then it's fine to do so, but real world advice has much greater value.
I have lived in Cape Town most of my life, and still visit regularly.
Yeah, I appreciate that, but I simply cannot afford a Hilux or a Land Cruiser. So its travelling by Land Rover or not travelling at all.Ask anyone who has gone bush in SA, and they will likely say the same. Toyota are ubiquitous throughout the 3rd and developing world, for very good reason.
If you want to get the answers that you actually want to hear, then it's fine to do so, but real world advice has much greater value.
I have lived in Cape Town most of my life, and still visit regularly.
I assume that the roadworthiness inspection is similar to our MoT (i.e, no major rust, no massive leaks, all the lights and wipers working, no bald tyres, etc) and there might be some differences too (Exhaust gas emissoins and warning lights are a fail in the UK, they might not be in SA?)
Parts support for Land Rovers isnt as good in SA as it is here in the UK, but its not bad. And I can bring a load of gaskets/seals/bearings/switches/bulbs/relays etc in my suitcase if needs be. And yes, a Toyota would be better, but I cant afford one, and South Africa is too big to travel by bicycle.
Land Rovers arent reliable (trust me, I know, Ive got 2 of them here, and curently neither of them run) but they generally fail MoTs much more often than they break down (Im talking about the old ones, RRC, D1, defender, series etc) because the electrics are rubbish and here in the UK they rust badly. Now in SA, rust isnt as much of an issue (obviously any 30 year old object made of steel could be rusty, but its not as guaranteed like here) and so if all I need worry about is electrics and leaks, well theyre quite an easy fix.
The Roadworthy certificate check in SA is not exhaustive, and many are given when a vehicle is clearly not roadworthy (read between the lines). A 15 year old Hilux is not going to be more expensive than a Disco / LR and parts are cheap and everywhere.
You are not going to be able to work legally in SA either, so I'd suggest saving for longer until you can budget in a Toyota. Africa is not homogenous like it is in the UK. It's full of smiles, sunshine and surprises.
You are not going to be able to work legally in SA either, so I'd suggest saving for longer until you can budget in a Toyota. Africa is not homogenous like it is in the UK. It's full of smiles, sunshine and surprises.
djc206 said:
At the budget end something like a Jimny which are also ubiquitous could be worth considering. Not sure I would cope with the incessant rattling on a Namibian ”highway” long overdue a grading though.
Id forgotten about the jimny, that would fit the bill nicely. Granted its not as big, but then how much stuff do I actually need? I wasnt planning on having a second battery and a fridge and all the other stuff, just a tent, a chair, a small gas camping stove, and possibly a folding table, and obviously first aid kit, food and water. Everything else is just for the car (spare parts, tyres, fuel, things to get un-stuck etc)My only concern with the Jimny is its range, its not going to use much less fuel than a diesel Land Rover, but its only got a 40L fuel tank. Ive heard lots of people say that they "need" a 1000km (620 mile) range, now Im not sure what to believe. On one hand, I probably wouldnt be going as remote as the very experienced people who say stuff like that. On the other hand, Im probably more likely to get lost, and I really dont want to end up running out of fuel.
For comparison, people say they get about 9L/100km (30mpg) from a Jimny once its got offroad tyres on it, with some stuff in it etc etc. Id also put some recovery boards on the roof, because theyre much cheaper than a winch, and often more useful too. So 9L/100km with a 40L tank is 444km, or almost 280 miles of range, but lets be generous and say I drive extra efficiently etc and get 8L/100km, thats 500km, or 310 miles. A diesel discovery gets about 25mpg with reasonably sized offroad tyres, etc etc, lets play it safe and call it 10L/100km, and the tank is 20 gallons, or 89L, which is very nearly very nearly 800km or 500 miles. Or put it another way, one jerry can and a full tank of diesel will get the discovery 1000km, whereas the Jimny needs just over 2 full jerry cans.
How much range do I actually need? Ive got no idea. Is there enough room in a Jimny to carry everything? Probably with a roof rack.
Ohh, one more thing which is sort-of related to range, do I need a second spare tyre, or in one plenty?
My guess as to the answer to both these questions is to start out small, 500km of range is probably fine, as is one spare, but then when going further, 2 spares and more range is needed?
EDIT : The cheapest Jimny I can find is 130,000 rand, or roughly £5,500, which is more than double the price of a Land Rover.
Edited by LotsOfLaughs on Wednesday 27th March 13:21
Semmelweiss said:
The Roadworthy certificate check in SA is not exhaustive, and many are given when a vehicle is clearly not roadworthy (read between the lines). A 15 year old Hilux is not going to be more expensive than a Disco / LR and parts are cheap and everywhere.
You are not going to be able to work legally in SA either, so I'd suggest saving for longer until you can budget in a Toyota. Africa is not homogenous like it is in the UK. It's full of smiles, sunshine and surprises.
What Im hearing is that leaving a few Rand under the seat is an easy way to pass the inspection?You are not going to be able to work legally in SA either, so I'd suggest saving for longer until you can budget in a Toyota. Africa is not homogenous like it is in the UK. It's full of smiles, sunshine and surprises.
And Im not planning on working there, just coming over for a few weeks/months at a time.
The cheapest 4x4 diesel hilux I can find is this one: https://www.cars.co.za/for-sale/used/2012-Toyota-H... , its the 2.5L model (famously underpowered, but then so are the land rovers Im looking at) and its 125,000 rand, over £5000. By comparison, this is the cheapest discovery on the same website (have found cheaper ones elsewhere) https://www.cars.co.za/for-sale/used/2000-Land-Rov... , now that isnt the one Id buy, being a TD5 D2 rather than the 300tdi D1, but look at the difference in their condition, and note that the Land Rover is 35,000 Rand (Or £1500) cheaper, thats the cost of the flights, and a lot of fuel.
I also think that the other benefit of buying a carefully selected Land Rover is the care its had from its previous owners. "White owned since new" isnt something Ive seen on any of the cheapest Toyotas Ive seen. The first time I read that on an advert, I was a bit shocked, but obviously it must mean something to potential buyers, otherwise they wouldnt have said it.
But at the end of the day it boils down to budget. The flight from the UK to Cape Town are at least £750, and Ill have to buy food, fuel, camping equipment, site fees etc etc, so every time I go its cost me £1000, or 25000 rand. And the plan is to store the car somewhere in South Africa, ideally not too far from the airport, since Ive heard that taxis arent the safest thing. So thats another expense. I reckon if I went once a year, it'll cost me £2000, or 50,000 rand a year, minimum (flights, storage, sevicing, the occasional repair, a bit of fuel and living expenses. This estimate doesnt include the cost of doing a long trip to say a nature/game reserve in the Kalahari). Add onto that the cost of buying the car and most of the equipment on the first trip, and now hopefully you can appreciate that coughing up the best part of £10,000, or a quater of a million rand, isnt the easiest thing to justify for a holiday, especially if the majority of that goes to the badge on the bonnet of the old 4x4 youve picked up.
Or even better, this one
Now the advert is very old, so I presume its sold, but you get the picture
https://landyguru.co.za/portfolio-item/22/
Now the advert is very old, so I presume its sold, but you get the picture
https://landyguru.co.za/portfolio-item/22/
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