The Kingsley Holgate Foundation announced the expedition on its Facebook page saying, "In an act of African symbolism we take water, to be carried in a traditional calabash, from the Cradle of Humankind all the way to Northern Congo where it will be emptied at the Heart of Africa.”

The destination is a very specific spot, at co-ordinates 17.05291°E, 2.07035°N. This is the exact location that has been determined to be the Heart of Africa. A team of scientists at University of Cape Town’s Department of Environmental and Geographic Science used a method known as ‘centre of gravity’ to determine Africa’s geographic centre. Their work was also verified by results from the International Geographical Union. This same process has been used to determine the geographic centres of the United States of America and Australia.

The many stops along the journey will see Land Rover Ambassador Kingsley and his team visit villages in Botswana, Zambia, crossing the Zambezi River into Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and finally ending up in the Republic of Congo.

Along the way, the convoy will be spreading a message of goodwill and also delivering humanitarian aid. The latter will be in the form of LifeStraws™ – a drinking straw that purifies water passing through it, making it safe for human consumption – as well as mosquito nets and reading glasses from the Rite to Sight project. 

In a note posted to the Kingsley Holgate Foundation Facebook page on Thursday, 27 August, Kingsley said, "This is better than any five-start lodge. Here on the Kgalagai Salt Pans, around a hardwood fire - it's a million stars that light up the night sky. No place like 'mama afrika'. What a great start to our heart of Africa journey."

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