Kingsley Holgate
Encyclopedia
Kingsley Holgate is a South Africa
n explorer, humanitarian and author. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
, he has been described by Getaway Magazine as "the most travelled man in Africa" and has modelled himself on David Livingstone
. Holgate has also written several books about his expeditions and fronted several National Geographic documentaries.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n explorer, humanitarian and author. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
, he has been described by Getaway Magazine as "the most travelled man in Africa" and has modelled himself on David Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
. Holgate has also written several books about his expeditions and fronted several National Geographic documentaries.
Expeditions
Holgate's expeditions are rarely completed on his own, notably they usually involve him travelling with other members of his family including his wife Gill and son Ross.- 'Boundless Southern Africa': A first of its kind journey to link and unite Nature, Culture and Community through nine Countries, seven Transfrontier Conservation Areas, more than thirty National Parks and Nature Reserves and most importantly the Communities living within or adjacent to these areas.
- 'Afrika Odyssey': A crossing of Africa from Cape Town to Cairo following the lakes and rivers of the continent in open boats.
- Circumnavigation of Lake TurkanaLake TurkanaLake Turkana , formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake...
. - First circumnavigation of the Makgadikgadi Salt PansMakgadikgadi PanThe Makgadikgadi Pan is a large salt pan in the middle of the dry savanna of northeastern Botswana. It is one of the largest salt flats in the world...
in BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
. - 'Extreme Latitude': Circumnavigation of the globe using various methods of transport following the Tropic of CapricornTropic of CapricornThe Tropic of Capricorn, or Southern tropic, marks the most southerly latitude on the Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This event occurs at the December solstice, when the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun to its maximum extent.Tropic of Capricorn is one of the five...
. - 'Livingstone's Last Journey': Following the route of Livingstone'sDavid LivingstoneDavid Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
two black porters, Chuma and SusiChuma and SusiChuma and Susi were loyal servants of explorer David Livingstone. They came into the limelight after their employer Livingstone died at Chitambo's village...
who carried his body from Lake Bangwelu in Northern ZambiaZambiaZambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
to Bagamoyo near ZanzibarZanzibarZanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
. - 'Lake of Stars Expedition': following Dr David Livingstone'sDavid LivingstoneDavid Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
1862 expedition up the Ruvuma riverRuvuma RiverRuvuma River, formerly also known as the Rovuma River, is a river in East Africa, forming during the greater part of its course the border between Tanzania and Mozambique . It is long, with a drainage basin in size...
, separating MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
to Lake MalawiLake MalawiLake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
or the 'Lake of Stars'. - Circumnavigation of Lake VictoriaLake VictoriaLake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
in an open boat following in the footsteps of H.M. Stanley and his boat the 'Lady Alice'. - 'Rufiji Expedition': Tracking the Rufiji riverRufiji RiverThe Rufiji River lies entirely within the African nation of Tanzania. The river is formed by the convergence of the Kilombero and Luwegu rivers. It is approximately 600 km long, with its source in southwestern Tanzania and its mouth on the Indian Ocean at a point between Mafia Island called Mafia...
in tribute to explorer Captain Frederick Courtenay SelousFrederick SelousFrederick Courteney Selous DSO was a British explorer, officer, hunter, and conservationist, famous for his exploits in south and east of Africa. His real-life adventures inspired Sir H. Rider Haggard to create the fictional Allan Quatermain character. Selous was also a good friend of Theodore...
. - 'African Rainbow Expedition': Travelling from DurbanDurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
in South Africa to the SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
n border and back using Land Rovers and a 35tonne sailing dhowDhowDhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
this humanitarian mission distributed tens of thousands of mosquito nets to pregnant mothers and infants in an enormous malariaMalariaMalaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
awareness drive. - 'The Outside Edge Expedition': Another humanitarian campaign crossing 33 countries promoting malaria awareness as well as the 'Right to Sight' and 'Teaching on the Edge' programmes.
Humanitarian Work
Holgate has founded the 'Kingsley Holgate Foundation' which aims to "save and improve lives through adventure" through "humanitarian expeditions that make a difference". This has been the focus of his more recent expeditions such as the 'Africa Rainbow Expedition' and 'The Outside Edge Expedition'. This aim has been implemented through programmes such as the 'One Net, One Life' campaign which aims to give out thousands of mosquito nets to help prevent malaria simply and cheaply. The 'Right to Sight' campaign provides glasses to assist the hard of sight, allowing them to resume simple tasks such as sewing,reading and beadwork to help them contribute to their community. The third campaign 'Teaching on the Edge', a scheme supported by Centurus Colleges and Rotary International, aims to provide teaching resources and mobile libraries to remote communities to provide education and improve literacy.Books by Kingsley Holgate
- Cape to Cairo: A Family Expedition Along the Waterways of Africa
- Africa: In the Footsteps of the Great Explorers
- Capricorn: Following the Invisible Line
External links
- http://www.imagineering.co.za/boundlesssa
- http://www.boundlesssa.com
- http://www.kingsleyholgate.net/
- http://kingsleyholgate.co.za/index.html
- http://www.kingsleyholgate.co.za/index.html
- http://www.outsideedge.co.za/
- http://goafrica.about.com/od/peopleandculture/a/holgate.htm
- http://www.landyonline.co.za/off_road/kinsley_holgate_land_rovers.htm