Africa’s iron horses
I was captivated by the article Africaʼs Iron Horses by Anton Crone in the June issue, since I have come across a fair few of these two-wheeled vehicles in Africa myself. As mentioned in the article, ʻriding on two wheels is the finest form of travelʼ. I photographed the shadow of my wife, Sue, cycling on the road across the bridge over the Riviersonderend towards Greyton in the Western Cape. Riding on two wheels applies especially to Africa. As the article mentions, charcoal is carried on bicycles from Zambia, and I have images of heavily loaded bicycles crossing the Victoria Falls bridge laden with bags of coal on the way from Zambia to Zimbabwe. Other merchandise was also carried on overloaded bicycles across the bridge.
In Franschhoek, Western Cape, I found a display of the classical old delivery bicycle.
As for motorbikes, my fatherʼs first form of transport when he arrived in the Eastern Cape from England in 1920, was a motorbike. He would regularly ride to Port Elizabeth, and even East London, from his farm in the Sundays River Valley.