Online Reporter
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
WHEN Vusumuzi Mnkandla reached out to Thando Tshuma via social media in 2023, romance was the furthest thing from his mind. The musician and producer had a business proposition for Tshuma, a popular vlogger and content creator.
As a musician and producer, Mnkandla simply wanted to provide the soundtrack for the videos Tshuma regularly posted on social media. After that exchange of pleasantries on social media, Mnkandla would make the trek from Johannesburg to Cape Town for what the pair still maintains was a purely professional meeting.
Soon, however, what began as a professional acquaintance blossomed into something else, something beautiful. The pair started to bond over things that they had in common. As they learnt about each other’s favourite colours, their likes and dislikes, they found that they both had an unfulfilled passion for travel. They both badly wanted to see the world.
Mnkandla, whose mother shared stories from Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days with him, wanted to hitchhike while Tshuma wanted to fly, travelling in style as she sampled the globe. With budgetary constraints, the pair eventually chose bicycles as their mode of transport. When their journey began in Bulawayo on 10 April, 2024, they did not have a clue what the continent had in store for them. In the journey that spanned over 13 000km and 11 countries, including their native Zimbabwe, the relationship between the two lovebirds blossomed, as they negotiated tricky terrain and tough weather conditions.
“During our journey, I learnt a lot about what my boyfriend likes and dislikes. I also learnt how to respect and honour him, and I watched him get in touch with his emotions. I noticed that he loves me a lot and is a man who keeps his word,” Tshuma told Sunday Life in an interview.
When they met for the first time on June 10, 2023, Mnkandla did not know that this would be the same person with whom he would be unlocking the next chapter of his life. However, as they rode their bicycles through South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya, the ties between the two strengthened.
“Cycling together has created a bond in our relationship,” Mnkandla said.
Many adventures and misadventures later, Mnkandla believes that he has gotten to know his companion better.
“I now understand Thando better and can interpret her emotions through even the tone of her voice. During this journey, I also realised that she’s a better cook than I am, but above all, she’s also a decent human being. That’s something very important besides what she has just achieved,” he said.
The journey through the continent was not always rosy. At various points in their journey, the pair has both come down with malaria, leaving them bedridden for days. However, Tshuma said that it was only when they cycled through Tanzania and Dande Valley, which is known for its wildlife, including lions, leopards and elephants that they felt that their lives were truly in danger.
“When we were cycling through Dande Game Park in Zimbabwe, things were difficult. In Kanyemba, we really felt that our lives were in danger. Things were also tough when we had to cycle in higher temperatures in Tanzania and Dande. I would say these were the hardest places for us to pass through because we didn’t know what might happen,” said Tshuma.
During this trip, they pedalled their way into the record books, completing over 13 300kms in a journey that saw Tshuma become the first black female cycler from Zimbabwe to cover such a distance. This in itself is a remarkable achievement for a woman who never rode a bicycle during her childhood.
“I never owned a bike growing up,” she observed wryly.
Things were different for Mnkandla, who fondly recalled his first bicycle, a cherished possession he got at 13, four years before he left Zimbabwe for South Africa, where he has lived for the past decade.
“I got my first bike when I was 13 years old, it was an MTB 26-inch Jinlima,” he said.
Even though they were never bicycle fanatics in their early years, the pair has grown to love the pair of mountain bikes that took them around the continent. On this journey, their bicycles became their trustworthy friends.
“Whenever we had problems with our bikes, we’d handle the minor repairs ourselves. For bigger issues, we’d take them to a specialist. Along the way, we often had to fix flat tyres, something we could easily do on our own. But for things like replacing spokes, we’d go to local bike shops. Right now, we’re not happy with the condition of the bikes and would really like to get new ones.”
Travel is never easy. The duo’s planning involved acquiring camping gear, visiting embassies for transit visas, and moving out of their house in Johannesburg. Setbacks were part of the journey. In fact, problems started at the onset, with their bikes stolen the night before they set out on their big adventure.
At one point, they were detained by Malawian police, who insisted that they were illegal immigrants. Their crime? They had arrived late in Malawi from Tanzania to find the immigration offices closed. Thus, they could not get their passports stamped.
Despite such challenges, the duo insisted that their travels allowed them to see the best of a continent that has more in common than it sometimes lets on.
“Crossing from Tanzania to Malawi via Lake Malawi/Lake Nyasa by boat was the most memorable part of our trip. That was a journey of about 70 kms and perhaps that is why Tanzania stands out from the rest of the places that we visited. During our entire trip, we learnt that Africa is one.
“We’re only divided by the borders and languages that we speak, but this is a continent that has people who have a lot in common. During our trip, it was interesting to learn about the currencies and different monetary values of all the countries we visited. We also learnt about the importance of safeguarding our heritage from the communities we met along the way,” said Mnkandla.
Throughout their journey across the continent, the pair dined with some of the country’s ambassadors, received cash donations, and were aided by locals at various stops. However, despite these gestures, some feel that more could have been done to support them along the way. As Mnkandla and Tshuma wrapped up their tour of Africa, another trio, Gauta Mahlakoane, Maxwell Ndou and Karabo Mokoo, were completing their own historic journey from Burgersfort in Limpopo Province to Cape Town in the Western Cape. Their gruelling 13-day, 1.741 km ride on BMX bicycles captured attention and received notable support across South Africa. In contrast, the level of assistance extended to the Zimbabwean pair led some to believe that more could have been done to support them as well.
For Mnkandla and Tshuma, who concluded their tour yesterday, the focus is now firmly on the future.
“This is not the end of the expedition. We’ll be announcing what’s next for us soon,” said Mnkandla.
