A bakkie load of Ubuntu

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Joint owners of a local business were recently at the receiving end of Ubuntu in its purest form when members of the public donated money towards their business vehicle lost in an accident last month.

George van Deventer and his fiancé Marlene Hurter run a tour company that takes 4x4 adventure and safari enthusiasts on self-drive tours across Southern Africa.

They moved to Keurboomstrand from Nelspruit four years ago and continued their adventures and tours courtesy of their trusty Toyota Hilux bakkie, Braap, named after the sound children make to imitate the sound of the bakkie.

Reputation
Braap was their pride and joy for eight years. One of its many special features was that it was covered with a huge number of stickers from all the places they had travelled to. Due to the nature of their business, the couple has developed a special reputation among 4x4 adventure enthusiasts, and Braap was at the heart of it.

"Braap was known for the big wheels, the way he was equipped with various 4x4 accessories, and definitely the stickers and quotes," Hurter explained to KPH.

"People would stop us on the road, took photos wherever he was parked. They recognised Braap from either our Facebook page, tours or magazines. People all over Africa would spot Braap and then tag us on social media. Almost like a legend in his own time."

The many adventures the bakkie shared with Van Deventer and Hurter made for irreplaceable memories.

"We had two 'greatest adventures' with Braap: Hunters Road in Botswana - mud, guts and glory, all fun and games; and Kasanka Bat Migration (Zambia/Malawi/Mozambique and Zimbabwe) - what a great adventure, slept on a broken bridge, explored completely off-the-beaten-track places," said Hurter.

But Braap's final adventure came on the way back home to Keurbooms after a tour of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, when Van Deventer collided with a stationary truck outside Pretoria. "He was turning off the N1 onto the R21, and the truck had just been in an accident moments before," Hurter explained.

Sadly, Braap was written off and the incident threatened the end of the company's operations. Because Braap was such a seasoned veteran of the road, the insurance payout was not enough to cover all of the costs.

George van Deventer in front of Ubuntu, the new Toyota Land Cruiser. INSET: The famous Braap in its former glory.

Miracle
The couple reached out to their Facebook followers with a BackaBuddy campaign. They received overwhelming support. "What followed the accident is nothing less than a miracle. Firstly because I walked away without any serious injuries. Secondly the miracle of friendship and people helping and giving. Both Marlene and I are grateful and humbled by the whole experience,"

Van Deventer said in a Facebook post. "A dream has become reality and I still pinch myself to make sure it's real. I believe that I was saved for a bigger cause. A changed man climbed out of that wreck. I will in future make it my mission to pay it forward."

The couple received more than R150 000 in donations from people contributing to the crowdfunding campaign and their bank account directly. This was enough for them to buy a new Toyota Land Cruiser, which they have named Ubuntu, to signify the way in which countless members of the public came together for their aid.

They have also received sponsorships from various 4x4 companies to do fittings on Ubuntu to kit it out in the same way Braap had been. Ubuntu's first big adventure, traversing the Ivory Route around Limpopo, is right around the corner.

The famous Braap in its former glory.