Yesha
Senior Member
- Jan 28, 2026
- 142
- 64
,BULAWAYO — Zimbabwean adventurer Nkosilathi Mathe has completed a 30,000-kilometre road journey from Birmingham in the United Kingdom to his home city of Bulawayo, crossing 34 borders during an expedition that lasted two months and 15 days.
The 49-year-old social worker and truck driver arrived in Bulawayo on Saturday, September 19, where family, friends and supporters gathered to welcome him home after the cross-continental journey.
Mathe described the journey as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“I am glad to be finally home and to complete this journey. It has been a wonderful experience. A once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he told Khulumani FM, according to The Observer Zim.
The journey began in Birmingham on July 4, with Mathe driving a UK-registered 2017 Nissan X-Trail. He had initially estimated that the expedition would cover about 15,500 kilometres and involve 34 border crossings.
His planned route took him through Europe before entering Africa, with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain among the European countries on the itinerary. From Morocco, he planned to travel down the west coast of Africa before continuing through Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Eswatini, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Botswana before entering Zimbabwe through Plumtree.
However, the actual journey extended to about 30,000 kilometres as Mathe navigated detours, border challenges, road conditions and other difficulties along the way.
Journey tested by borders and breakdowns
The expedition was marked by a series of challenges, including border delays, alleged demands for unofficial payments, difficult roads and vehicle problems.At the Rosso border between Mauritania and Senegal, Mathe said he was detained for about four hours after being caught filming on a public road. He said border officials searched his cameras and deleted footage that showed officials allegedly demanding money from him.
In Senegal, he reported being stopped repeatedly by police and asked for unofficial payments. He also described a confrontation in which an officer allegedly attempted to take his camera.
Another major setback came at the Ivory Coast-Liberia border, where Mathe said he was prevented from entering Liberia after refusing to pay a bribe. He subsequently made a 700-kilometre, 12-hour round trip to Monrovia to obtain the necessary paperwork.
His vehicle also came under pressure during the trip.
On the Angola-Zambia route, the Nissan X-Trail became stuck in deep sand before its starter motor failed. Mathe walked for about 45 minutes to find assistance and eventually arranged for the vehicle to be towed.
Because the starter could not immediately be repaired, he said he had to push-start the vehicle while crossing wooden bridges into Zambia.
Earlier in West Africa, a mud trap dislodged the vehicle's front bumper, which he secured using makeshift straps. In Ghana, welding sparks shattered the vehicle's sunroof while he was repairing the roof rack, with the replacement costing about £500.
The unexpected repairs, accommodation and other expenses pushed the cost of the expedition to about £15,000, the upper end of Mathe's original budget.
More than an adventure
For Mathe, the expedition was not simply about covering thousands of kilometres.Before setting off, he said the journey was motivated partly by a desire to reconnect with Africa and his Zimbabwean roots, while also raising money for SOS Children's Villages.
He had explained that travelling by road would allow him to experience countries and communities that he would miss by flying.
“Driving home overland is a way of stitching together the distance between where I live and where I come from,” Mathe said before the journey.
He also wanted the trip to highlight the differences between travelling across Europe and Africa, particularly the challenges created by border controls, visa requirements and road infrastructure.
By the time he reached Johannesburg on September 9, Mathe had travelled approximately 24,000 kilometres and had about 3,000 kilometres remaining to reach Bulawayo. He said he had never seriously considered abandoning the journey despite the difficulties he encountered.
He also described the contrast between travelling through Europe and Africa, noting that he had crossed nine European countries in three days with minimal border and road checks, while encountering numerous police checkpoints and border delays in Africa.
Mathe linked these challenges to broader issues affecting movement and trade across the continent, arguing that poor roads, border delays and visa restrictions increase costs for travellers and businesses.
Final kilometres to Bulawayo
After reaching South Africa, Mathe continued northwards towards Zimbabwe, completing the final stage of the expedition through the region before arriving in Bulawayo.His return was marked by a public welcome in the city, with family, friends and supporters gathering to celebrate the end of the journey.
Fellow Zimbabwean adventurer Thando Tshuma was among those who welcomed him. Tshuma and her partner, Vusumuzi Mnkandla, recently completed a separate 13,300-kilometre cycling expedition across 22 African countries.
Mathe's journey ultimately covered almost twice the distance he had initially estimated, taking him from Birmingham to Bulawayo across Europe and Africa, through 34 borders and numerous challenges.
For the former Milton High School student, the final arrival in Bulawayo brought to an end a journey he had described before departure as both a physical and emotional return to the place that shaped him.
The expedition
