I have the email address of a Nigerian prince who asked for my help if that helps.....

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You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.

Yeah, I think I know him, had his assets frozen and needed your help in moving his money out of the country!!

I think it may be the same guy. Spooky.

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You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.

I'm now doing detailed planning and gearing up for my London-Cape Town trip, starting in mid August 2023.

I did a trial run in West Africa last November on a small local bike I rented in Togo. https://www.polarsteps.com/Christoph...01251-togo-etc
I learned a lot from that. I reached the border of Côte d'Ivoire but didn't manage to get in. I had a visa and customs clearance, but I had been given duff information by the embassy in London about where and when I could get the necessary laissez-passer - all fixable if I had enough time.

So I turned back towards Nigeria (I hadn't planned to enter this time) where I got arrested for taking photos at the border - all sorted out with much good humour and back-slapping.

My route was: Togo, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Togo - with some excursions inland. 2,400km. One mishap: walking in Accra after dark, I fell into an open sewer and fractured my leg (fibula), but was able to continue.

I realised that my first-world sports tourer will not be the right bike for Africa. So I am looking for a light local-type bike with readily available spare parts and tyres. The kind that any kid on the street can fix.

Now deciding whether to take a UK-registered bike and go North to South. Or to buy a bike in Cape Town, come South to North and pay duty and VAT to import it into the UK. That's more complicated than it sounds though.

Has anyone without South African residency successfully bought and registered a bike there?

BTW. Regarding visas:
- Ghana: I got a 3 month multi-entry visa from the Embassy in London, valid for 3 months. Bit of a rigmarole. £100
- Nigeria: I have been advised to apply in London. I have a Nigerian friend who can get me an invitation letter.

I may be beating a dead horse here (in which case I beg your pardon), but it’s not clear to me whether you’ve drawn the necessary conclusions about your experiences.

First, don’t believe anything you hear unless confirmed repeatedly on the ground; lots of embassies will give incomplete or incorrect information like this, but the need for (and difficulty obtaining) the necessary laissez passer for C.I. entry was well-known and widely discussed. I believe this rule has just recently been rescinded, but see “confirmed on the ground” above.

Second, don’t take photos at borders or near other similarly-sensitive locations. This will get you in trouble at, for example, US borders too—and it can’t necessarily be fixed by applying “back-slapping.”

And last, try to limit wandering around at night in dimly-lit, Developing World cities. Falling in an open sewer is one not-unlikely outcome, but there are others even less pleasant. Carry a headlamp, and possibly a spare. Actually, I’d suggest the same in my own hometown, while acknowledging that the hazards are far fewer, and the ditches not as gross.

There have been at least a few threads about purchasing bikes in South Africa, which I presume can be found with a site search. Importation into the U.K. is not something I know about, but if you were asking about, say, buying in South America and importing into the USA I’d point out that this is virtually impossible, so proceed with caution.

Hope that’s helpful, but if not please disregard without a backward glance.

I've imported a couple of vehicles into the UK (and exported one of them later to Canada). As long as you do what's necessary to meet UK regulations (e.g., lights) it's no problem, although if the bike/vehicle has been owned less than 6 months you'll pay tax on the value. You pay duty either way, as I recall.

The Overlanding West Africa and Morocco Facebook group has a constant feed of upto date border and visa issue on the west side.

There also a very active WhatsApp group

Thanks Warden,
I’m closing in on this now. Taking a UK registered bike to Casablanca in June where a friend has secure storage. Route: through France to Sète. Ferry direct to Tangiers, cutting out Spain. It will stay there while I’m on an extended holiday in Japan (with ‘er indoors) returning 7th August.
14th August fly to Casablanca and start.
Meanwhile I’m in touch with a guy called Gordon who is currently in Guinea and wrestling with the formalities to get into Côte d’Ivoire (and equally important: to get out again). He posts on HU but I haven’t been able to find him here - we are communicating via WhatsApp.
I don’t do Facebook any more (and never intend to again). So if you can give me any details of the WA group you referred to I would be glad to join.

Here’s my loose and very flexible plan. (I have lots of contingency ideas). Sanity check comments welcome.
It’s the easiest way for me to do it (with regard to medical/repatriation insurance, and customs):

JUNE:
- start from London on a bike registered to me in UK (that means no insurance limitation on engine size*).
- store bike in Casablanca until mid-August.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/[DECEMBER]:
Fly back to Casa 14th August.
- provisional route to Cape Town:
Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, [maybe Gambia, and Senegal again], Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, [maybe Gabon], Congo, DRC, Angola, Namibia, South Africa.
- distance 13,500km
- target average mileage: 1,000 km a week (5 days x 200km, allow 2 days a week for rest/visas/border delays/repairs/general admin etc.)
- target end date 16th November (94 days)
- “way points”: cumulative distance from Tangiers, target dates:

Nouakchott: 2,719 km, 2nd Sept
Cd’I border: 3,753 km, 9th Sept
Abidjan: 5,456 km, 21st Sept
Lagos: 6,471 km, 28th Sept
Kinshasa: 9,445 km, 19th Oct
Cape Town: 13,500 km, 16th Nov

NOVEMBER (or DECEMBER):
- Clear RSA customs (bike exit stamp) and send the bike back to London by sea freight.

*if I start from any other country, my insurers would limit me to a 125cc bike.