Across Africa in the Little Englander
09/05/2022
In August 2009, two brave Portuguese adventurers attempted to drive across Africa in an old Mini. Ricardo Mota and Adalberto Salveira wanted to prove how robust such a small Mini is and this adventure was to pay tribute to the steadfastness of the tiny car.
They bought the old English car in Durban (South Africa) and immediately set off for Maputo in Mozambique. From there, they set off on their journey from the Indian Ocean across Africa to Luanda on the Atlantic coast.
The two intrepid adventurers left Maputo on August 3, 2009 and crossed Africa on its bumpy roads. Mota and Salveira covered around 1000 km a day, driving through the northern part of South Africa and passing through Botswana before making it to Namibia.
Although they had no serious problems, the journey was not without its challenges. A few flat tires caused minor problems, but the old Mini's weak headlights made driving at night extremely difficult, especially when huge swarms of mosquitoes crossed their path.
When they finally made it to the border of Angola for the last part of their journey, there was a major setback. They were refused entry due to VISA problems. Mota and Salveira were devastated - their dream was in tatters just a few hundred kilometers from their final destination. But fate had another plan in store for them: Mota and Salveira turned back at the border and drove south through Namibia until they ended up at Joe's Beerhouse in Windhoek. Here, the two adventurers entertained the guests with their stories of Africa's roads, drank cold beers and were even able to converse with other Angolan visitors in their native language.
The two were so impressed by the hospitality, the cold beer and the delicious food that they donated their now legendary Mini to the restaurant. Today, Joe's Beerhouse is proud to have been part of this amazing adventure story and the owners eagerly tell the story of Ricardo Mota and Adalberto Salveira to any visitor who asks about the Mini.
