14 July 2008 - Travel Wires

All girl African Adventure expedition team

Plettenberg Bay – After almost two weeks of hiking, camping and adventure sports, the 14 woman Mitsubishi Africa Adventure Cape to Cape Expedition Team has been chosen.

The Cape to Cape Team sets off from Cape Agulhas on 2nd March 2009 and will travel for 34 000km overland from the southern tip of Africa to the northern tip of Europe.

The all female team were chosen from 18 finalists after an 11 day selection process in Bitou.

The team are Sibongile Mpakanyiswa, Monica Villalobos, Tanya Weyers, Julie Farrington, Monique Hansen, Alicia Proud, Petra Schueller, Tanya Tiefenthaler, Ingrid Bohme, Jahna Boshoff, Marion Le Roux and Bridgette Johnson. They will be joined by expedition organisers Enya Fehler and Andrea Doerfert.

The eight month expedition aims to promote and develop tourism in Africa. After moving to South Africa from Peru, team member Monica Villalobos says that she wants to share her love of her adopted continent.

"A lot of people have an image of Africa as riddled by war, famine and crime, but we want to show the amazing things that our continent has to offer. The challenge, the length and the crew of this expedition will create the impact needed to get the people to listen to us. Our pictures will seduce them, our stories will motivate them and our passion will convince them."

After the expedition, all profits will go to training young people working in the tourist industry. Expedition member Sibongile Mpakanyiswa, 29, who was born in the small township of uMdantsane and is currently working as an international investment banker in New York, explains the importance of this aim.

"The chance to promote Africa and contribute to its sustainable development through tourism is something I am passionate about. Tourism can be a key to Africa's social and economic development. But for ordinary Africans to benefit fully, education and training are essential."

The team have already secured the sponsorship of Mitsubishi and are now looking for additional finance and equipment sponsors for the expedition. Enya Fehler said: “It has been fantastic to see the tourism sector pulling together to make this expedition happen. This is a non-profit initiative, so sponsorship is essential to us. Although it is the women who are making the journey, we feel the whole industry is a part of it.”

For more information on the Mitsubishi Africa Adventure Cape to Cape, or to find out how you could sponsor to the event, contact capetocape@africa-adventure.travel or visit http://www.africa-adventure.travel.