hey man... i didnt meet any riders along the way..but lotsof mense report the odd sighting of an overlander zooming past them..mind u..some kids in zimbabwe have a shocked look on their faces like u a spook on 2 wheels.. fuel in malawi is a problem now! take note man..theres sporadic fuel shortages due to the government not having enough forex to betaal..so they say..other than that..you should have a filling station every 200-300kms..the roads are a pleasure..apart from the occasional cow, bicycle, school kid, truck..etc..NO NIGHT DRIVING..cant stress that enough..in alot of places due to high day temperatures, people move around more at night and your visability is very poor..i would advise taking sun0-goggles and also those yellow lens anti-glare driving goggles, both of which MUST be able to fit under your helmet.. please go with COMESA insurance as you'l pay anything from USD10-USD50 for insurances along the way..some travellers pay USD100 for insurance that should cost USD40..guess who pockets the rest. Some places are damn hot so travel pref with a body-armour type suite instead of a bike jacket..also have your rain gear handy so you can pull over immediately to put the gear on. Take your cellphone+ a backup+ backup cheaper (R200). Buy registered sim cards in the country as it would be cheaper than using roaming. If you have a smart phone, look out for WiFi hotspots, buy a voucher and keep everybody updated. Create an sms group using the +27 code so that you send 1 sms updating people who need to knopw where u are. Being a muslim of Indian origin helped alot because there are indians/muslims in every location, willing to help with accom, food, parking, forex, directions etc..