Beit Bridge - the one and only

Beit Bridge is the only border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe. It is situated at the start (or is it the end ?) of the N1 to Cape Town, 20 km north of Musina.

This is the 'mother' of all border posts in South Africa - by far the most busiest. Probably the busiest in Africa. It is not only South Africans and Zimbabweans that use this border post. It is also Malawians, Congolese,Tanzanians, Mozambiqians and more.

It is also one of the busiest commercial border posts and trucks are lined up for kilometers on both sides to cross the border. Over the festive season vehicles are lined up for more than 10 kilometers. More than 10,000 people cross the border per day. Up to 30 immigration officials are on duty at any time through out the 24 hours of operation. The entrance roads are lined with street hawkers and there is a bustling street life that leaves an uneasy feeling.

While we were standing around inside the parking area to observe everything, I was approached by a suspicous looking character who offered to speed-up our border crossing for a fee of R50 per passport. After I explained our mission and asked him for assistance to get a stamp from an immigration official on a piece of paper, he lost interest and left to look for other customers. 

Inside the immigration building people were standing shoulder-to-shoulder (soos sardiens) on both sides. If you suffer from claustophobia like I do, this is not a comfortable place to be.  

Although this is the only border post to Zimbabwe, there are alternatives via Botswana that can be considered by South Africans. May the patience be with you!

Filling up at Shell Ultra City just before Beit Bridge.

Inside the parking area at Beit Bridge

The South African side at Beit Bridge

Street life at the entrance to Beit Bridge border post

This picture at Beit Bridge border post nearly got us into trouble

Pontdrift - the last border post to Botswana

Pontdrift is the most northern border post to Botswana and also the last of 17 border posts to Botswana that we have visited. It is just about exclusively used for tourists to the Tuli block in Botswana. Guests leave their cars on the South African side of the border. The Botswana lodge operators then collect them in open safari vehicles.

The name Pontdrift refers to the fact that the Limpopo is crossed here on a pontoon. That is when there is water in the river. When we visited the border post (28 Oct) the river was completely dry and vehicles drove through as on a normal gravel road. During the  floods of January earlier this year, the pontoon cable was washed away. Should the river fill up now, the river will be crossed by boat.

Pontddrift is 60 km from Alldays, all tarred road, but once again, full of dangerous potholes. It is on the western border of the Mapungubwe National Park.

The road from Ratho to Pontdrift

Entrance to Pontdrift border post 

Vehicles cross the dry Limpopo on this 'road'

Signs of the many lodges in the Tuli block on the Botswana side

Ratho Bush Camps - baobabs, crocs, and people with guts

Sandra Boshof is known as the Baobab woman of Mapungubwe. She started a business with a group of local people to make Baobab tree replicas from banana tree leaves. Today these trees are distributed through retailers in most areas of the country.

But there is more. Sandra is also a fanatic nature guide and animal lover. She has her own collection of sable, bush babies, warthogs and more. And then she has the Ratho Bush Camp, 15 km from the Pontdrift border post. This is on the same farm where her husband, Johan, is running a transport business to Botswana, and her daughters are managing a crocodile hatchery with about 18,000 crocs at any time.

Amazing people, but Ratho Bush Camp is also an amazing camp. There are two sections: the tented camps with all facilities and ideal for groups of up to 10 adults with children, and the 4x4 bush camp situated on an island in the Limpopo river. 

There are no fences here and game are free roaming from Botswana and surrounding game farms. The water hole right in front of the tented camp is popular and we saw herds of elephant, waterbuck, kudus, impalas, baboons, mongooses visiting. A vulture restaurant, regularly stocked with the left overs from the crocodiles ensure a prolific bird life. Fish Eagles will wake you in the morning and remind you of their presence all day long. Large groups of Maribus complete the picture perfect sundowners.

The entrance gate to Mapungubwe National Park is only 60 km away from Ratho.
There is so much more to tell about this place and its people. Have a look at www.ratho.co.za

Sandra Boshoff, an amazing woman.

The well equipped kitchen at the tented camp of Ratho Bush Camp

The 4x4 bush camp in the Limpopo river

Game crossing the Limpopo from Botswana to Ratho Bush Camp

And there ae thousands of crocs !

From Zanzibar to Platjan - on the other side

Zanzibar is a beautiful border post crossing the Limpopo river to Botswana, about 25 km from Maasstroom. If that means nothing to you, don't worry, Maasstroom is nothing, just a road crossing and agricultural signs. It is about 80 km from Alldays which should tell you that it is in the heart of the bushveld. Prime wild life and extraordinary nature scenes.

We approached Zanzibar from the Groblersbrug border post via Tom Burke and Swartwater. The R572 road of about 80 km is tarred, but full of dangerous potholes. The last 23 km from Maasstroom is a gravel road. It is also an area where you will see Boabab trees and we stopped at Swartwater to look at the biggest single stem Boabab in Southern Africa (according to the locals).

Zanzibar border post is used mainly by tourists that visit the Northern Tuli blok in Botswana. Crossing the Limpopo river is done via 3 narrow and very low level 'bridges'. This restricts the type of vehicles that can use this border post - no  trucks or busses will be able to use these bridges. The border post is closed when the Limpopo is in flood.

We decided to cross the border into Botswana here and drove the 50 km to Platjan (next border post) through the many private wildlife reserves and lodges of the Northern Tuli block. It was an uneventful drive and about an hour later we entered South Africa again.

The story is told that Platjan was named after a local that was killed and literally flattened by an elephant. I could not verify whether this is fact or fiction.

The Limpopo crossing at Platjan is also a very low and narrow 'bridge' but the border post staff told us that trucks and overland vehicles do cross here to the Tuli block lodges. It is normal procedure that the border post is closed for 2 to 3 months due to the level of the Limpopo river from end of January onwards.

Whenever you visit Botswana again and think that Groblersbrug is the only border post to this region, think again. Stockpoort, Zanzibar and Platjan are much better options.

Biggest single stem Boabab in Southern Arica ?

Crossing the Limpopo via one of three low and narrow 'bridges' at Zanzibar

Beautiful scenery in no-man's land

Entering South Africa again at Platjan

Kokomori Birders Lodge - rustic privacy near busy border post

The entrance to Kokomori Birders Lodge is on the road from Lephalale (Ellisras), about 10 km before the Groblersbrug border post. From the entrance, you follow a gravel road through game and potato farms for a further 8 km or so before reaching the house of Dian Geerskens, a potatoe farmer and owner of Kokomori Birders Lodge. Dian's farm border on the Limpopo river. It is here where he established the Kokomori Birders Lodge.

There are 4 chalet units built with material to have the least impact on the environment. Although the units can be classified as rustic, all the necessary requirements are there: electricity, geysers, showers and baths, braai lapas, wood, swimming pool, stylish bed rooms. The units are surrounded by man made 'pools' with constant water from the nearby Limpopo river. This is what makes this place a bird watcher's paradise. Dian told us more than 400 bird species were identified, including the sought after Pell's fishing owl. 

There is also a 'bush camp' area with its own very basic ablution facilities for campers. However, the rates are so reasonable, I think Dian rather wants to attract visitors to the lodge units. 

Only a section of the 500 hectare farm is used for the irrigated potatoe crops, far away and out of sight from the lodge units. The remaining area of the farm, mostly along the Limpopo river, is stocked with a variety of game. Huge indigenous trees complete this picture of paradise.

It is clear that Dian loves his land and want to share it with as many people as possible. The very reasonable rates are an indication that South Africans are invited.

If you have to use the Groblersbrug border post to Botswana, make sure you allow time for a stopover at Kokomori Birders Lodge. For more information, look at: www.kokomori.co.za

Groblersbrug / Martin's Drift - one of those

Groblersbrug is a border post to Botswana, about 95 km from Lephalale (Ellisras). But it is one of those that you really want to avoid if possible.

This is where the N11 (national road in South Africa) starts. That means it is a tarred road leading to the border post and many trucks make use of it to transport its cargo to and from South Africa, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Kongo, and other African states.

The name of the border post on the Botswana side is Martin's Drift. A tarred road leads to Selebi Pikwe, the 3rd biggest town in Botswana after Gaberone and Francistown.

The buildings on the South African side look old and dirty. Along the road leading to the entrance of the border post are street hawkers. Many trucks carrying salt, copper and other freight line the road, waiting their turn to cross the border. They cook, wash, and throw their rubbish next to the road.

The border staff, operating from 6:00 to 22:00 daily, are friendly and patient. The single lane bridge crossing the Limpopo river, named after an unknown (to us) Grobler, was built in 1937.  

Street hawkers next to the entrance to Groblersbrug

Trucks waiting to cross at Groblersbrug

Single lane bridge with pedestrian facilities at Groblersbrug

Stockpoort / Parr's Halt

From Polokwane International airport we drove back to Mokopane on the R101. We took the R518 to Marken over the Delarey pass. This is Waterberg bushveld world and many game ranges are along the way. At Monte Christo the road splits to one of two border posts to Botswana: Stockpoort or Groblersbrug.

Stockpoort border post is the preferred border post if you go to the Khama Rhino Reserve in Botswana. It is quieter and much more tourist friendly. It is a tarred road, about 75 km from Lephalale (Ellisras), leading to the border post. Be careful for the potholes though.

The border post is used mostly by locals and tourists. The bridge (with no name) crossing the Limpopo river was built in 1937 acccording to a plate, and should with stand most normal rain down pours.

According to the officials, they do experience a high number of illegal people crossing the border here from Botswana to South Africa.

It was in the dry season when we visited Stockpoort and there was no flowing water in the Limpopo river.

The dry Limpopo river at Stockpoort

Sebe Sebe Lodge - hiddden luxury

We planned to stay over in Mokopane (Potgietersrus) on the way to the Stockpoort border post, but after entering the very busy town on a Friday (25th) afternoon, decided to move on. I saw a small advertisement in the WEG magazine for Sebe Sebe Lodge, 8 km from Stockpoort and decided to give it a go. What a nice surprise !

I phoned Karel Kerling, a co-owner and dentist based in Pretoria. He immediately arranged that Willem, the very proud manager, will meet and accommodate us there for the night in the 'SLAGHUIS' unit.

Sebe Sebe Lodge is a luxurious lodge on the banks of the Limpopo river that offers self-catering or fully lodged facilities. All the units, with a total sleeping capacity of 40 people, are situated on the river banks. BIrd life is prolific and Willem is just too keen to take you on a game drive on the 500 hectare property along the Limpopo river.

If you use the Stockpoort border post (see post about this border post) and need a stop over on the South African side, look no further. The rates are worth the experience.

We happen to meet Gerhard Lampen and Pieter Steenkamp, winners of the WegRY subscribers price with Bjejane Safaris, who just returned from Botswana. They also chose Sebe Sebe after recommendations from friends who knew the place.

Look at: www.sebesebelodge.co.za or phone Karel Kerling at 083-456-6940

Entrance to Sebe Sebe Lodge, 8 km from Stockpoort border post

Slaghuis unit at Sebe Sebe Lodge, literally on the banks of the Limpopo

The sleeping room of Slaghuis unit

Limpopo river in front of Sebe Sebe Lodge

Game drive in Sebe Sebe Lodge

Polokwane International - Limpopo cosmopolitan

Polokwane is about 300 km North of Pretoria on the N1. Beautiful highway all the way - BUT you pay a price. There are 4 toll gates before you reach Polokwane and the current rate for a standard vehicle is a total of just short of R125. The R101 is an alternative route that can be recommended, except for the first part through Hammanskraal. There are many taxis and 4-way stop streets, but from about Pienaarsrivier the R101 is a scenic route up to Polokwane.

Polokwane International airport is surrounded by a military a base. There are no scheduled international flights to Polokwane, but many private holiday makers use this as a port of entry to the many game lodges and hunting farms in Limpopo. Airlink provides daily scheduled domestic flights from various SA airports.

The airport gained its international status in 1996 and boasts modern terminal buildings. Facilities, that inlude restaurants are neat, clean and appears to be very effiient.

More to go

We have visited 27 of the 73 border posts so far - 46 to go. We have travelled 4800 km of which more or less 3000 km was on gravel roads. About 7200 km to go and we will try to do most on gravel roads: the motto of our main sponsor, DriveOut magazine, is gravel travel (WegRY is heelpad grondpad).

The nicest part of this tour is not the visits to the border posts - that is just a check point along the way. It is the journey, the roads, the country, the scenery that make it memorable. 

I have uploaded more photos on the Pictures page - click on the link to the right of this page, third from bottom.

It is roads like this that make this tour a memorable journey. Near the Richtersfield in the Northern Cape.

OR Tambo - Africa's busiest airport

OR Tambo International airport, about 50 km from Johannesburg city centre, was previously known as Jan Smuts Airport. It was renamed to Johannesburg International Airport after the 1994 democratic elections, but got its current name on 27 October 2006, the birthday of Oliver Tambo, a former president of the ANC.

During 1996, this airport became the busiest in Africa with a capacity of more than 28 million passengers per year, surpassing Cairo at the time. It is amongst the 100 busiest airports in the world and is one of only a few airports world wide with scheduled flights to all 6 inhabited continents.

During our visit on a Friday morning at 9am, it was as busy as at anytime. As with most airports, it was not possible to reach the immigration officials, nor the airport management. We visited the police station to get 'prove' of our visit.

I was impressed with the red and green lights in the parking area that indicate the number and position of available parking bays.

Lanseria International Airport -the success story continues

When travelling to Gauteng by air, I always try to avoid the mad rush usually experienced at OR Tambo airport. I rather use Lanseria airport because it is much quieter with much less passenger and road traffic. My last visit to Lanseria was in July this year, 3 months before this revisit for the border post tour. It is amazing how much has changed at the airport in just 3 months.

Lanseria airport was first used in August 1974. It is continually upgraded and improved and today it has several scheduled domestic flights to and from Cape Town and Durban by Kulula and Mango airlines. There are no scheduled international flights, but it is very popular for private and chartered flights from international destinations. The rich and famous often use this airport to escape the attention of the masses. 

Approximately 3 million passengers per year pass through Lanseria with ease and comfort. There are plans to upgrade it further without doing away with the comfort and relaxed feeling. The management is very aware of the reasons for its success and plans to maintain and improve on it.

Pilanesberg International - lost city missing out

Just 10 km away from Sun City is the Pilanesberg International airport. The airport was established in 1981 to service the high number of visitors to the very popular Sun City hotel complex and game reserves in the area. The annual Million Dollar golf challenge during December kept the airport on the international radar and it was upgraded and extended in 1999 when Airport Company SA (ACSA) took over the management.

Sad to say, but since then the operations at the airport slowly deteriorated. There are no more scheduled flights to Pilanesberg. There can be several reasons for the declining number of passengers at the airport: general state of the economy, more self-drive visitors, more casinos in rest of South Africa, I don't know what else. The North West provincial government took over the management of the airport in 2011.

During our visit there on a Thursday morning, there were no flight activities. Staff at the check-in counters were lying down, trying to sleep. Others were loitering around, looking bored. 

The Million Dollar Golf Challenge event is happening soon. Hopefully this will wake every one up again and passengers will stream into this beautiful part of South Africa. 

Etali Safari Lodge - plek van 'n nuwe begin

Na die lekker kamp by Botsalano met sy basiese geriewe (sien een van vorige inskrywings) het ons oorgebly by 'n plek aan die ander kant van die spektrum: Etali Safari Lodge in die Madikwe Wildreservaat. 

Madikwe is 'n 75,000 hektaar, groot-5 wildreservaat  in die verre noord-westelike hoek van die Noordwes provinsie, teen die Botswana grens. Etali Safari Lodge is een van verskeie ultra-luukse lodges in die reservaat.

Hier word jy op die hande gedra en bederf van die oomblik wat jy daar aankom totdat jy weer vertrek. Alle etes is ingesluit by die tariewe en dis 5-ster etes van vroegoggend, dwarsdeur die dag tot die aand se ete in die boma langs 'n watergat. 

Etali se watergat is 'n wenner en ons het net so baie wild aktiwiteite hier gesien as op die 2-keer-per-dag wildritte (ook ingesluit). Die eerste oggend, net nadat ons terug gekeer het van 'n wildrit, het 2 leeus 'n blouwildebees ten aanskoue van meeste gaste en 3 witrenosters, langs die watergat vasgetrek. Later die aand, tydens aandete in die boma skaars 25 meter van die watergat, het 'n trop buffels kom water drink. Nadat die buffels weg is, het die 2 leeus wat steeds in die omgewing was ook kom water drink.

Etali beteken "place of new beginnings". Dit word vir meeste gaste bewaarheid.

Vir meer inligting kyk na: www.etalisafari.co.za