7000 kays in seven days - in a Kia Soul 1.6 CRDi Start

My alarm goes off at 3.15 am. I force my grainy eyelids open and fumble for the bedside table to switch on the lamp. Today’s the day we join the final leg of the Seven7DRIVE, and we have to meet the team in Harrismith as they come back from their arduous journey to Upington, Windhoek, Gaborone, and the Mozambican capital of Maputo, where they handed out essentials, presents and cupcakes to children in the oncology wards of state hospitals.  TV/radio personality Pulane Sekepe and I volunteered to also take part in this seven-day, 7000 km journey in one of two Kia Souls, to raise awareness and funds for children who are victims of this cruel, common illness. The Seven7Drive campaign encourages per-kilometre sponsorships and any other donations for their cause. This year, proceeds of the fundraiser will go to Cupcakes 4 kids with Cancer, a non-profit organization that facilitates life-saving cancer treatments for children whose families are unable to afford it. The organization also offers assistance in any way they can, as well as information and emotional support.

Awaiting the convoy

At Kia in Edenvale, we are met by Randy Robertson, KIA social media manager, who picks us up in a luxurious Kia Grand Sedona, the ultimate long-distance family van.

In supreme comfort we travel the 275 km to Harrismith; me in the front, Pulane in the second row, catching some much-needed Z’s. Upon our arrival in the Free State town, we wait. The Seven7Drive team were held up at the Komatipoort border post, and would only be arriving at noon - ie. almost four hours later. We quickly set up a mobile office at the local Mugg & Bean, and try to get some work done. Then, as I take a walk to the bathroom, I notice the red and blue Seven7Drive branded Kia Souls pulling in at the fuel station. They’re very hard to miss and attract much attention.

Danie Botha, expedition leader (and editor) from Leisure Wheels who started the initiative, exits the red Soul stiffly. He is clearly knackered after doing about 4700 km of the total 7000. As he removes his sunglasses, the fatigue is visible in his eyes. He and his co-pilot G.G.van Rooyen (Leisure wheels road-test editor) will be doing the full 7000 km, and after four days on the road, they look ready for a beer, a bath, and a bed. Yet they’re both in good spirits and don’t miss a beat as they load fresh provisions into their red Kia Soul.

“Oh, everything gets stiff and sore -  your bum, your back, your neck. You’ll see,” Gert says, matter-of-factly.

Christo Valentyn (Kia PR & product marketing manager), Thami Masemola (journalist, In4ride) and Tumelo Maketekete (presenter, Ignition TV) travelled up to this point in the blue Kia Soul, and were now heading home in the Sedona.

A fresh start

After a 15-minute breather and a couple of double espressos, we set off in convoy: Danie and Gert in front, Randy, Pulane and I behind them in the red Kia Soul 1.6 CRDi Start.  I’m behind the wheel for the first shift, and the standard rearview camera comes in handy as I exit the densely populated parking lot. Even though it’s the entry-level diesel Soul (at R329 995) it has much more than I expected with regard to specification levels*. As for boot space, it happily accommodated three larger-than-average overnight bags, camera equipment, backpacks, and a cooler box.

We are now heading to the Caledonspoort border post into Lesotho near Fouriesburg, so that we can make our way to the Tiny Lives Matter clinic in Lesotho’s highest town, by the name of Mokhotlong. The Soul is remarkably easy to drive, with a slick-shifting 6-speed manual gearbox, light steering, and ultra-supportive seats - the latter being the most important when you’re looking at seven full days on your backside.

Danie and Gert are in a hurry to reach this destination, and there’s no leisurely driving as we rush to cover a great distance to reach the clinic while the babies are still awake.

After our passports are stamped at Caledonspoort, we press on purposefully, chasing daylight. The Souls’ 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engines are pushed to the limit as we traverse mountain pass upon mountain pass in the oxygen-poor air. The twists are so severe and the ascent so steep, that I keep the Soul in second gear for most of the time, even switching to first gear in some places. The Soul is very safe, and the knowledge that we have ABS, EBD, brake assist, traction control, stability control and vehicle stability management along with 6 airbags, is very reassuring.

Touching Tiny Lives

The Touching Tiny Lives clinic is a peaceful, well-maintained haven in the dilapidated streets of Mokhotlong, and the babies are well-cared for and comfortable. As I approach a baby girl for a cuddle, she bursts into tears. (Perhaps it’s the first white face she’s ever seen, because babies usually quite like me.)

We hand over baby clothes and personal care items to the head of the nursing staff, who tells us more about the children, many of them orphaned. And not only do some of them have cancer, but are also HIV-positive.

As evening falls, the boys inform me that we we will be driving Black Mountain pass in the dark, to the beginning of the Sani Pass, the most infamous untarred mountain pass that spans across Lesotho and South Africa both. I have no problem with the tarred Black Mountain pass, but I have the fear of death in me for the Sani. And even though the Kia Souls have been fitted with IPF driving spotlights (compliments of 4x4World) and have skid plates (standard) as well as finisher bars (thanks to Horizon Global) , they’re not 4x4s, and don’t have much ground clearance. Also, those sponsored Bridgestone Ecopia tyres are more suited to assist fuel economy than they are for the treacherous descent on a dangerous, narrow and ridiculously twisty pass with a highly questionable surface.

Fright night

As the Sani Pass border post signs loom closer, I feel my hands getting clammy on the leather-covered steering wheel. I suffer from vertigo, and I did not count on driving this pass in the dark.  Then we turn off to a gravel road and collectively start stressing. We’re at the start of the Sani. “This is it, guys!”, Randy exclaims. Then, surprisingly, the red Soul comes to a stop at the back of a building, and we pull in next to it.  We’ve arrived at the Sani Pass Lodge, home to the highest pub in Africa!  We’re going to have dinner and go to bed!  No Sani Pass tonight!

The three souls in the blue Soul are elated, and we head to the cosy bar for a well-deserved Jägermeister to celebrate our safe arrival. Then a quick dinner, and we’re all off to bed in our respective rondawels - everyone’s beyond exhaustion. The Sani Lodge cat greets me at my door and jumps on my bed, and ends up sleeping next to me until morning. Later we both head to the wooden deck and watch the sun rise over the majestic Maloti mountains and the notorious Sani Pass, sharply snaking down its way below. Will the Kia Souls be up (or down, rather) for the task? At least we’re descending the pass towards SA, and not ascending, where one wrong move and a loss of traction can send you plummeting to the depths below. The Sani has claimed many lives, especially in poor weather conditions, and is listed as one of the most dangerous passes in the world. http://www.dangerousroads.org/africa/south-africa/559-sani-pass-lesotho.html

The long way down

Everyone’s chipper - it’s a crystal clear day. At first I offer to do the drive down, but after having my passport stamped at the top of the pass at the Lesotho border post, I am not so sure anymore. In my career, I’ve driven on some of the worst possible road surfaces in various types of vehicles. But when there are spine-chilling, stomach-churning drop-offs that remind me that life hangs by a sheet of rubber, an irrational and debilitating panic gets the better of me. I radio Gert to come over and drive the car down for us while I try not to go into cardiac arrest. As we get going, I regain my composure on the back seat, and a feeling of calm descends  - every corner offers a vista more breathtaking than the next. It’s slow going, but the Kia Souls are highly maneuverable and their tiny turning circles sure help to get around those pesky, hair-raising hairpin-bends. On more than one occasion, Danie climbs out to move rocks out of the way before we crawl further down in first gear. We’re all surprised at how well the tyres handle the rough, and about two hours later we arrive at the SA border post.

Nerves of steel (word sterk aanbeveel)

A quick bathroom break ensues in the town of Underberg, and the first stop we make again is 300 km further, in the town of Mtatha. Horrendous traffic and reckless road-users make for a stressful 480 km journey from Mtatha to Port Elizabeth - more traumatic than the Sani ever was. When we finally arrive in P.E. several hours later, it’s well after 9 pm when we drive into the provincial hospital’s parking lot.

Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital

The hospital is ancient but in great shape, and the oncology ward is excellent. Pulane and I scrub our hands and don the necessary hospital garb to keep the isolation areas free of our germs.  Cancer patients have lowered immune systems and are always at risk of infection.

Next to each bed there’s a la-Z-boy recliner, where a mom or dad can spend the night(s) while their child is undergoing treatment. The children are delighted by the presents they receive, as well as the cupcakes - an indulgent treat they’re not allowed very often. We have time to learn more about the parents as well. I am very touched by the positivity and grace of two mothers, who, in the face of this very real possibility of losing a child, still feel grateful and blessed.

“God is good to us,” says the one lady, who is a single mom. “I’ve had to give up my job to care for my child and I have two other children. We stay with my mother, who is too old to work. But we haven’t gone one single night without food”, she says with a smile.

When we leave for our hotel I have mixed emotions. I am saddened by just how unfair life is, yet inspired by the almost superhuman courage of these parents, who have to remain so strong and positive for their children. I think of my own two kids, who still feel the aftermath of a painful divorce. Yet they are happy, healthy, and able to play outside with their friends. Their life may not be as perfect as the one I envisioned for them, but they are free to enjoy the ultimate gift: a healthy childhood.

Onward, soldiers!

At 03:15 my phone alarm vibrates loudly on my bedside table at the Radisson Blu. The hotel kindly offered us a bed and a three-course meal for the night. It feels like I’ve hardly slept, but today we have to head back to Pretoria, to Ga-Rankuwa’s George Mukhari hospital. It’s the last day of our journey and we have about 1140 km to do, with minimal stops in-between. With the Kia Souls being so light on diesel, refuelling isn’t needed very often. Fuel economy of 5.8 - 6.5 litres per 100 km is the norm, meaning that over 800 km on one 54 litre tank is easily attainable!

I meet Danie in the lobby, stirring milk into coffee so strong, it will make a drug lord flinch. He says he didn’t really sleep, as an electric cable kept banging against his 15th-floor window all night. Ag, such is life,” he says with a wry smile, “I’m used to it by now”.

Randy takes the first shift while Pulane plays DJ after creating a Seven7DRIVE playlist on iTunes for us the previous night. She has her MacBook plugged in via the auxiliary cable and the jams are coming fast, loud, and clear. There’s very little road noise inside the Soul, so there’s nothing to interfere with the sound quality.

In the meantime, I’m hanging out on the back seat, trying to catch up on sleep without any success. Eventually I take out my laptop and do a bit of work. The Kia Soul is miles more spacious in the back than I thought it would be, and I have ample space to stretch out, post on social media, and occasionally lie down with high hopes of possible slumber (which never came).

The final test of manhood

At Middelburg I swap seats with Randy, and from Colesberg I drive to Bloemfontein via Philippolis, to cut out a chunk of the truck-laden N1. It’s a clear, crisp Free-State day, complete with pale amber grass, azure skies and purple koppies in the background, and everyone stops to photograph the Souls against the region’s stark beauty. Then it’s the last stretch to Pretoria. But what we didn’t take into consideration, was the density of the traffic we’d encounter in the bowels of Gauteng.

Pulane has the unfortunate task of piloting us through the chaos and is doing a stellar job, but for almost three hours in total, we sit in deadlocked traffic, despite taking alternative routes; one being a dirt shortcut. By 6.30 pm, we had already been on the road for fourteen hours, with only two bathroom breaks in-between, but the three of us are jiving and singing along to the party playlist at the top of our lungs.

Ga-Rankuwa

It is past 8 pm when at last we enter the parking area at the George Mukhari Hospital. We meet up with Christo Valentyn (Kia PR), Margaret Roberts and Leo Kok (from MediaServe,  in charge of logistics, fundraising and marketing). Danie and Gert carry the crates of presents inside. It’s a long walk, and the hospital grounds are in need of serious TLC. There’s litter everywhere, water pipes and cables are exposed, hundreds of patients walk to and fro, nobody knows where they’re going. When we reach the oncology ward, we are relieved to see that it’s bare, but well-maintained and beautifully clean - which an oncology ward has to be.

A pretty little girl dressed in pink, sits in an isolation room as we walk by. As if it’s not bad enough to have cancer, but to be all alone? Leo and I decide that she should get a fluffy, pastel-coloured unicorn for company. Then we enter the other rooms with 16 beds in total, chatting to the children while we hand out caps and toys - the older ones clearly more interested in the caps.

In another isolation room, a little boy lies quietly in his bed. He has open wounds on his forearms, and his large, long-lashed brown eyes stare blankly at the wall. The female doctor on duty speaks cheerfully to him in Sesotho. As I give him the little teddy bear, he doesn’t move his eyes or his head, only his fingers to better feel the object he’s just been given. “He is blind...”, the doctor says. She pauses. “Say thank you to the nice lady”, she urges him, lovingly. “Thank you”, he says softly.

All good things...

And so ends our 7000 km journey. We may not have reached our target of R100 000 (so far MediaServe have counted about 40K), but we have spread the word, and next year will be bigger and better than ever. When the final numbers are tallied, Seven7Drive will hand over the proceeds to Cupcakes 4 kids with Cancer, who, incidentally, have just set the Guiness world record for the tallest tower of cupcakes, raising

R 300 000 in the process.

Even though the Seven7Drive has come to an end, the need for funding never does - the founder of  Cupcakes 4 Kids with Cancer, Cindy Cipriano, says that plenty of money still needs to be raised for stem-cell and bone-marrow transplants. It’s never too late to make a donation. If you’d like to do so, or to get involved with next year’s Seven7DRIVE initiative, please contact Margaret Roberts at info@mediaserve.co.za. BBBEEE points are earned equal to the amount sponsored, and a full section 18A Tax Certificate is available on request. Go to www.cupcakesofhope.org to see all the good work that they do!

As for the Kia we drove - if you do plan on taking regular marathon road-trips such as these, believe me, nothing will make you want to sell your Soul.

The numbers

Name: Kia Soul 1.6 CRDi Start

Base price: R 329 995

Engine: 1.6-litre, turbo-diesel, front-wheel driven

Power/Torque: 94kW and 260 Nm

Transmission: 6-speed manual

0-100 km: 10.8 seconds

Top Speed: 180 km/h

Fuel tank:  54 litres

Realistic fuel consumption (combined) 5.8 - 6.5 litres per 100 km

Range per tank: 800-900 km

Luggage capacity: 354 litres

Ground clearance: 150 mm

*The Soul START features a comprehensive list of standard specification, including a radio with RDS, MP3/AUX/USB jacks (and satellite controls on the steering wheel), Bluetooth connectivity and six speakers, central locking, an immobiliser, a rear-view camera, electrochromatic rearview mirror, electric windows front and rear, electric heated side mirrors with integrated indicators, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. It also features ABS, EBD, ESC, VSM and Hill Assist Control, six airbags, active headrests, an impact-sensing door unlock function, and ISOFIX child seat anchors. For the full list, please visit http://kiamotors.co.za/models/soul.