A Night With Kingsley “Greybeard” Holgate

Kingsley Holgate – Africa’s Greatest Modern Day Explorer

This was the claim echoing in the forests of Table Mountain National Park last night. That Kingsley Holgate is, without doubt, Africa’s greatest modern day explorer. This 67 year-old explorer and humanitarian has also been described as “the most travelled man in Africa” by Getaway Magazine. Sitting in a camp chair around a crackling campfire across from Kingsley, or “The Beard”, or “King” for those more familiar with him, your heart sort of stops. Or hangs there in your chest, suspended in silence. Until someone hands you a Captain Morgan and Coke…

Kinsley was in town – Cape Town – yesterday in support of World Malaria Day. I was lucky to catch him in person at a media event as he took time out from his current African expedition supporting malaria prevention and education.

Kingsley and his team are currently doing the year long Great African Rift Valley Expedition, which started in October last year. It’s a world first humanitarian, 12 month, 9 chapter odyssey penetrating remote regions from its northern point in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa through Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi, to its most southern point near Gorongoza in Mozambique.

A few years back, I travelled with Kingsley and his son, Ross Holgate, in jam-packed and muddy Land Rovers with folks from the Endangered Wildlife Trust to track the elusive wild dog. It was one of the greatest trips of my life, all twenty two years then. Our journey started in the Kruger National Park and passed through the wild bush of Mozambique in the Parque Nacional do Limpopo, both parks making up the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

For four days, we 4x4ed down thick muddy paths, over giant tree roots through villages, dodging herds of cattle, past kilometres of bush and game. Being behind the wheel was exhilarating, but chatting with Kingsley around a fire as the African sun set over our makeshift campsite in the bush… I was more on the edge of my seat than ever before.

A trip to Africa with Kingsley Holgate teaches you a lot about how to deal with border crossings, locals, translation problems, endurance, vehicle issues – e.g. getting Landies out of thick mud, and much much more. It’s also a dangerous undertaking in that returning to city life becomes unthinkable. Worse than the week the film Into The Wild premiered at cinemas nationwide.

Now, in my hometown Cape Town, I found myself face-to-face again with this legend as he hugged me in greeting. Kingsley is a big man. He’s somewhat like a bear, which in Native American lore, they describe as “as free in spirit as the great wind; and grander than its mass. To match that magnitude is the quality of unpredictability in the bear. A massive animal who forages seemingly peacefully in the woods on berries and bush.” Great yet humble…

Kingsley started his world famous African expeditions out of a passion to see Africa, learn more about her, meet her people and travel her lands. It became obvious, after he and his family and other travellers were struck down by malaria so many times, that something had to be done about this stubborn female Anopheles mosquito.

“It’s like a thud to the heart,” says Holgate, “when you get to a village and a mother is screaming, not knowing what to do, her child dying from malaria – 2 days by dugout to the nearest clinic. I know what it is like, I’ve had malaria well over 40 times and when you think these lives can be saved by a simple mosquito net.”

Hence the campaigns to raise money for mozzie nets and the Holgates’ endless travels across Africa disseminating nets to disadvantaged local villages. The King didn’t stop there. His philanthropy has extended to spectacles, stationery, books and soccer balls.

Our campfire conversation under the trees included people from Cape Union Mart and the media, as well as people who’ve had the luxury of travelling with King in the past, and his son Ross – a beefier, younger version of King, with decidedly less man fur.

Usually you can find Kingsley’s wife Gill alongside him, the perfect husband-and-wife team. But at last night’s event it was just father and son… and a bucket loads of Captain Morgan – official sponsors of the Holgates’ adventures.

Kingsley and I chatted about his trips and experiences, run-ins with everyone from strange farmers living in the desert to child soldiers in CAR (Central African Republic), a landlocked country in Central Africa.

“One of the greatest joys of expedition life,” he said, “is the characters you meet. The magic happens when you stray off course, give in to the pace of Africa, and mix with the characters.”

He’s experienced every kind of reaction to his humanitarian efforts out there in deep Africa – from dancing, shouting crowds of hysteria to silent nods of appreciation. “The cultural differences of the different tribes we encounter and give to are fascinating. Sometimes you get tears and praise and sometimes just the bow of a head. You can’t do this job for the praise,” he said.

Kingsley talks and I get goosebumps.

I don’t talk much and he probably prefers it that way – he has a lot to share. The chances of experiencing half of his stories in this lifetime are slim, so I shut it, sip my rum and listen, on the edge of my camp chair. For the times when King isn’t in town, there are his books. Next up is “Mamma Africa”, still in writing, but soon to be flying off shelves in bookstores.

Nothing, however, beats seeing Africa play out in The Beard’s eyes before you, and having a man who has touched the hands of everyone, from mamas fighting malaria in desolate African villages to African legends like Yvonne Chaka Chaka, squeeze yours as you part ways once more.

You can’t help but leave an encounter with The Beard and not long to take off on the dusty open road in the African wild – far away from electricity and schedules. Luckily, we at Rhino Africa are heading off on safari in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve tomorrow – certainly not the cross-continental trip that Kingsley is used to, but Into The Wild all the same!

Ready, set, go!

Take a look at the malaria-free safaris section on the Rhino Africa website! Contact one of our expert travel consultants for more information or to book a trip to one of these areas.

A Word On Malaria

Kingsley is a dedicated ambassador for the United Against Malaria (UAM) campaign. The UAM campaign aims to raise global awareness around the subject of malaria, and bring about a large-scale commitment to ending the disease. Malaria threatens half the world’s population and claims 655 000 lives each year. 90% of those are in Africa, where a child dies from malaria every minute. Yet, malaria can be effectively prevented and treated, and in the last decade alone, global malaria deaths have been reduced by 38%. Ending malaria will improve maternal and child health, education and will significantly reduce poverty in Africa.

Have your UNITED AGAINST MALARIA Bracelet yet?

The UAM campaign are selling multi-coloured UAM beaded bracelets that signify the united fight against malaria (on sale in Cape Union Mart stores). The bracelets are made by disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Proceeds of sales of the bracelets go toward these communities and malaria nets. By purchasing the UAM bracelet at a cost of R30, individuals and organisations are contributing towards the purchase of life-saving mosquito nets for thousands of people across sub-Saharan Africa who cannot afford to buy their own. The sale of one bracelet can protect a child from malaria for up to 5 years.