Originally Posted by Young_Travellist_CH

Hello together

I am a new member to the forum and planning the trip from Cape Town to Switzerland in late 2021 on a motorbike.

At the time of the trip, I will be 19 years old and with about a year of motorbike driving experience. It will be my first long-time trip.

I am planning 4-6 months for the trip.

This thread is focused on the Cape to Cairo Route. The European part of the route is neglected.

Planned (not fixed) route is:

SA- Botswana- Zambia- Tanzania- Rwana- Uganda- Kenya- Ethipoia- Sudan- Egypt-...Switzerland


As I am starting to plan for the trip, my questions/concerns are the following:

- I plan to buy a motorbike in Cape Town. How does it work with registration. Do I need a TRN to buy one? If yes, how do I acquire it (without residence address)?

- Is it possible to get a Carnet de passage and insurance for the bike in SA?

-Are there going to be problems with border crossing and importing the bike to Europe? What happens with the bike registration in SA?

- Which Visas are problematic? Visas in Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan must be obtained in advance if I am correct. Are fixers needed on this trip?

-Can equipement be bought and the bike prepared and modified in CT? Are there good shops around for spare parts? I might need to spend some time anyway in CT to optain documents and complete the bike purchase.

I do not expect a complete answer for my many questions, rather I hope for helpful links, tips and insights. Especially given that the trip is still far away.

What else do I need to think of?


Thank you so much,

Joel