TRAVELLING and working across Namibia means meeting people on grand adventures.
Aabid Manji and his family from Kenya are no exception; their vehicle has turned heads and won them friends across the country.
Travelling in an Ineos Grenadier, the first sold on African soil, the family has driven all the way from Kenya to Namibia.
An overland expedition of this scale usually requires meticulous planning, especially with the youngest member of the party being only four months old. However, Manji takes a more fluid approach.
“This trip was planned only 40 days before leaving home in Kenya,” he says.
“The reason is simple: When itineraries are too rigid, you miss the real adventure of meeting people and seeing places that otherwise would have been left out of the story.”
Every great adventure has a starting point. For Manji, it began with the desire for a vehicle that resonated with his personality.
As a Land Cruiser enthusiast, the birth of the Grenadier caught his attention when Sir Jim Ratcliffe decided to build a rugged 4×4 from scratch.
“I was absolutely sold. Before any dealers were even appointed, I knew I was getting one,” Manji says, having followed the brand’s progress since its inception.
“This car changed my life. From the day I got it, I went out and freed myself in ways I cannot even describe, and we travel as a family,” he says.
Equipping a vehicle for a family of four requires a balance of practicality and minimalism.
Manji operates on a simple philosophy: “Everything we need and nothing we don’t.”
When asked about the highlights of the countries they have traversed, Manji says every nation is uniquely special.
However, Namibia, alongside Mozambique and Malawi, holds a particular charm, he says.
While at Swakopmund, one of Manji’s social media followers, Dawid van Breda, invited the family for coffee.
That coffee led to more than just a chat. Soon, the family was heading to the world-renowned Sandwich Harbour.
This became a major highlight of their time in Namibia.
Manji believes not having a fixed plan allows for these genuine connections, noting: “It is not about the destination, but the journey.
“Like many conservationists, the visitors expressed concern regarding the future and serenity of Sandwich Harbour, noting that it has become increasingly commercialised.”
Manji is a seasoned traveller, with a passport reflecting visits to at least 80 countries and an estimated one million kilometres of driving under his belt.
Apart from essentials like satellite phones, extra fuel, water, and child safety seats, his Grenadier is fitted with a state-of-the-art adjustable Reiger suspension kit.
Manji says the suspension can be adjusted to the required surface in about 30 seconds.
“The correct suspension makes the world of difference between a comfortable and an uncomfortable trip, while reducing driver and passenger fatigue,” he says.
“The car is just built solid.
The family aims to return to Kenya by the time their youngest turns five months old.
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