Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Nissan Navara’s Daring Africa 2024 expedition
BUILT locally in the Rosslyn Plant, North of Pretoria, Nissan’s Navara bakkie is set to take on a month-long expedition which will see the group of vehicles traversing through eight countries.
Aimed at showcasing the capabilities of the Navara, the +7 000km journey is set to prove that the Navara, which is built by Africans for Africa, can take on the worst the continent has to throw at it in terms of road conditions.
Dubbed “Daring Africa 2024”, the expedition also coincides with Nissan’s 60th anniversary of manufacturing vehicles on African soil.
The Rosslyn Plant represents a significant role in the African landscape as the manufacturing hub of the Navara for the continent. It manufactures Navaras for export across the African continent, with Algeria and Libya seeing the model introduced in their local markets at the end of 2023.
The latest market to soon introduce the Navara will be Egypt, hence Cairo as the end destination for the “Daring Africa” odyssey.
For the first leg of the lengthy journey, we pointed the bonnets of the fresh-off-the-line group of Navaras East to the land of the rising sun. A short stint at Nissan Menlyn, where we were awaited by the friendly staff who took the opportunity to show us around their dealership, which also happens to be the first to incorporate their all-new corporate identity.
A lengthy drive lay ahead of us and after fuelling our bodies with energy drinks, we set off onto the N1 North before joining the N4 which would see us munching many kilometres till our destination.
My co-driver and I drove a back-tobasics Navara single-cab SE 4x4 manual fitted with a canopy. Under the bonnet is a 2.5-litre turbo diesel mill which in this application is capable of 120kW and 403Nm of torque, with a 6-speed manual transmission.
Much of the drive was fuss-free, with the single-cab workhorse cruising along the well-maintained N4 quite
comfortably. The canopy fitted to our unit was a nice touch as we were able to store our overnight luggage and other smaller items. Before long, we had finished 200 kilometres and had arrived at our short refreshment break for a driver change.
The next stint would be a tad more tedious as we’d find ourselves driving behind slow-moving trucks with no opportunity for overtaking, thanks to
solid barrier lines. What made the stint enjoyable, however, were the breathtaking views which one experiences along Schoemanskloof – a reminder of the endless beautiful landscape which our country has to offer.
Our next stop was at Produkta Nissan for another refreshment break and quick tour of the dealership.
With the sun setting, we departed and headed for our overnight accommodation
in White River.
Reflecting on the day and after several conversations with Nissan staff, one realises the big plans which the automaker has for Africa. Nissan understands that Africa is the last frontier for the automotive industry due to the low level of vehicle ownership on the continent.
Armed with a capable vehicle for the African continent, the expedition will prove just that through successfully traversing it on this journey.
With the following legs of the journey set to take place over Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Egypt, the convoy of Navaras and one X-Trail is a big deal and will be celebrated for a long time when completed.
We’ll be bringing more updates of the expedition as it unfolds.