Tuk-Tuk-Ing from Kenya to Cape Town for Conservation

year ago, four unemployed mates (Josh, Jasper, Ivo, and Robbie) stumbled on the idea of driving two 8HP Tuk-Tuks in a very wiggly 18,000km line from equatorial Kenya to Cape Town to highlight the post-Covid plight of wildlife rangers and conservancies. So, they spent all their savings on essential modifications (roll bars, chassis reinforcements, seats, pull-out BBQ etc) and headed off into the great unknown.

“Quit your job, buy a tuk-tuk and pick some ludicrously vague direction… What’s the worst that can happen?”

So far, they have covered over 8,000km to reach Victoria Falls, encountering numerous obstacles and benefiting from the remarkable kindness of strangers along the way. It’s been an incredible experience, and Studio 104 has been a proud sponsor and supporter of the highs and lows of three-wheeled life in the African bush.

Tuk South is all about the spirit, grit, and freedom of sustainable adventure travel. The boys and their trusty Piaggio’s (Princess Buttercup & Sports Tuk-Tuk) are currently wrestling their three-wheeled friends through some of the harshest environments Sub-Saharan Africa has to offer, ranging from the tropical cyclones of Mozambique to the parched moonscapes of the Kalahari Desert. They have successfully conquered alluvial mudflats, larval plains, salt pans and the infamous Tsetse Belts of Southern Tanzania. This has been a high-octane adventure from the get-go and the tempo certainly isn’t slowing down.

“When we do eventually reach our African destination, we really don’t plan to stop, so, funds permitting, we hope to plunge across the Atlantic Ocean and continue the adventure, on our sister continent of the Americas. Stage 2 of the expedition will entail spurring our noble steeds from the southern lands of Patagonia to the limits ofthe Arctic Circle in the far North.”

Throughout their travels they are documenting the thrills and spills, using professional grade videography equipment. Short clips from this are shared on all their social media platforms (160k followers combined). The final edit for this footage will be used to create a short documentary style film of their experience.

One of the main goals of their current expedition is to raise money and exposure for wildlife rangers. These men and women are at the forefront of the fight for the preservation of Africa’s remaining wild spaces and have come under intense pressure because ofthe coronavirus pandemic. Tuk South is honoured to be working alongside the grassroots, For Rangers charity to try to achieve this goal. You can donate directly to For Rangers via the Tuk South Justgiving page.  

The more awareness we collectively raise for the incredible and often life-threatening work that wildlife rangers perform every day the better. Supporting a ranger helps not only the ranger and their family, but the wild spaces they protect, the communities that rely on them and the health of the ecosystem as a whole.

“Every cent goes directly to these men and women, providing them with good quality kit and equipment, improved welfare and better working conditions so that they might better protect the wildlife that cannot protect itself.”

If, like Studio 104, you’d like a side-car seat on the adventure, then sign up to one of the @tuksouth social media channels on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube. And if you’d like to give the chaos a helping shove, the boys would  be ever grateful for a donation via their GoFundMe Tuk-Tuk Fund, which will ensure the wheels stay on and the fuel tank is replenished.

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Studio 104 create the best bespoke uniforms for some of the world's most respected luxury brands and Sustainability is always at the centre of our focus when creating new uniform for our ethically and ecologically conscious clients. Every step of our uniform creation has been considered to achieve a first-class sustainable approach, and is constantly refined with the latest initiatives, processes, and materials.

Written by Ian (Chief Revenue Officer)

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