Cape to Cairo | Crossing the African Continent

Watch the full free Cape to Cairo video here ⬇️
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Explore the Cape to Cairo railway, a legendary route that goes from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt- or is supposed to, anyway. Join Bright Trip Creator and native South African, Driaan Louw, as he explores the story of how this idea first came to be and why this route still doesn’t exist by rail or by road (despite numerous attempts to construct it over the past century). This is a tale of conflict, colonialism, and a crazy, rich boy called Cecil Rhodes. Learn more about Bright Trip at brighttrip.com...
Leave a comment with any questions you have and we’ll make sure to include it in a future video.
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[@MohammedMuaawia]

Some African in person reporting here! I can confirm that the Wadi Halfa to Aswan ferry is running as of december '22, but it might not the most convenient way to do the trip. Most people travelling between Sudan and Egypt will take the bus, infact there are direct routes from Khartoum all the way to Cairo and even Alexandria. Hope this is valuable to anyone who wants to attempt this insane feat.

[@ДаниилСтепанов-р1и]

It is not point of that video. The real topic of video - about "only Railway" option in "Cape to Cairo" line. What's why - he was still looked on train option.

[@lylerb9168]

I did the inverse in 2018, from Cairo back to Cape Town. Used the train from Alexandria to Aswan, I used a ferry to Sudan I only used rail again in Khartoum unfortunately only started to use rail again when I got to Kenya and then from Mombasa took a bus to Dar Es Salaam. From Dar Es I took the Tazara rail from Tanz to Kapiri Mposhi and then took a train in Bulawayo and then had to take busses inbetween would have been so cool to do it all with a train

[@PPKFilms]

And now i kinda wanna do a cape to cairo... I do blame you, just so you know.

[@driaan_louw]

I'm a bad influence!

[@andrewyoung1904]

do it. i did cairo(alexandria in fact) to cape town in 2019 just make sure you take enough hard western money into sudan and zimbabwe. and accept shit toilets...

[@joshuaokoroze4534]

@@driaan_louw email? , My profile picture is actually at landsdowne Capetown

[@randomvintagefilm273]

My family went on this trip in 1973 and ending in South Africa where we stayed 3 years. So glad my dad took 1000's of photos.

[@oscarmmari5061]

There is a railway operating between Dar es Salaam and Arusha, and there is a railway from Arusha to Mombasa (not functional) but under renovation.

[@amosicronery7730]

No need to go to Dar es Salaam, unless you want to. You can go Nairobi-Arusha-Dodoma-Iringa-Mbeya-Tunduma cross to Zambia.

[@petersilas4234]

There is now a highway from Capetown to Cairo ,tarmac all weather road through Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia.

[@delaneyfoster8760]

Elon Musk is a 🙌 legend 🙌 Cecil Rhodes is a piece of 💩 that's all I'm going say on that🤫

[@joegrey9807]

A long time in coming .. I did the 'death road' from Isiolo to Moyale sat on the roof bars of a cattle truck on the corrugated track back in the 90s. That's an experience I've no intention of repeating!

[@eacoincmubiru5894]

@@joegrey9807 I can assure you if you try again you will be shocked; the road is now TARMACKED. unbelievable.

[@joegrey9807]

@@eacoincmubiru5894 yes, that must make trade and transport so much better! Brilliant news!

[@mohamedhommos7748]

Amazing This is the most excitement journey i have ever seen in my life before Egypt to South Africa We Are Africans. Thank you for watching awesome video!

[@privaterizk4936]

It's a blessing that I found this channel. I'm not really a traveler person. But I like to see, to know, to understand the world and its system. Subscribed.

[@stickynorth]

Africa needs more inter-continental transport links to really succeed. Glad to see them make tremendous progress as of late!

[@champan250]

We call it the Chinese debt trap diplomacy for any infrastructure construction projects in the continent and is not permitted under US and NATO foreign policy goals

[@NEPATransitnTravel]

Passenger rail link the entire route is what’s really needed.

[@licioussamuels]

You mean interstate?

[@qassimyusufu6910]

@@champan250 that is 0

[@nairobinyeusi5811]

Only Europe has inter continental transport links Africa, Asia & South America barely have any due to their massive continental size & Geographical barriers. Africa is not a tiny continent like Europe. The DRC alone is almost as big as Europe.

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

The trans-African highway needs to connect at places it stops and there should be a middle highway in the Sahara

[@r..a8680]

There is a trans-African highway from Mombasa in Kenya to Lagos in Nigeria. And there is a lot more infrastructure in Africa than what was left by the colonialists.

[@melby6512]

I was about to say that

[@AdmireM]

That outro music is beautiful, sounds so Zimbabwean 🇿🇼🇿🇼🎶🎶

[@arailway8809]

Thanks for the deep research on this. Africa needs trains, big time.

[@andrewmcgarrity5388]

Definitely adding this to my bucket list.

[@threadistrue]

I just watched the whole video on Bright Trip. Man, sooo good!!

[@BrightTripTravel]

Oh yeah, watch the whole thing!! www.brighttrip.com/videos/why-there-is-no-cape-to-cairo

[@piloadami_]

Loving the Zimbabwean influence on the last tune! Great content and editing too

[@mhdibm7515]

I am sudanese and i didn't know these lines existed lol

[@jordymcneill]

Amazing work per usual 🤩

[@neiltravels]

As of May 2023 there are no long distance passenger trains operating in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe or Namibia, and Sudan is in a state of war. There were already gaps in the route before 2020, but currently Cape to Cairo by trains is not feasible.

[@MS-dp2qg]

Bro I work in Logistics last time I was sending trucks in Moyale Kenyan-Ethiopian boarder. Ethiopian doesn't allow foreigner trucks to load in Ethiopia but I'm pretty sure the road is safe all the way to adisabeba. I don't know how is the journey from Adis abeba to Cairo but the journey from Adis abeba to Cape town is pretty safe. I normally send truck from Lusaka Zambia to Nairobi the road is very safe and in good condition and I know many guys who do Lusaka-Johanesburg or Lusaka-Durban by Zimbabwe or Bostwana by Bostwana,they used to use a ferry but now there is brand new bridge in Kazungula. So the road from Adis abeba all the way to Capetown is in good condition by driving. I will advise not to drive during the night. Instead of passing through Ethiopia then passing on the left through Uganda then South Sudan then Sudan. I know you can drive from Kampala to Juba but I don't know the condition from Juba to Khartoum. I know a guy who has attempt to do the half of the journey(the Nile route from Rwanda to Egypte) by foot. One of his partner died of heatstroke in Ugandan Savana but he reached Cairo at the end. There is many people who cross Africa with cars even from Morocco to SA

[@windoak2113]

Juba to Khartoum is in awful condition, theres basically no roads north of the city of Bor in South Sudan. The ones that do exist are unpaved and rife with bandits. Also, the war in Sudan doesnt help much either.

[@MS-dp2qg]

@windoak2113 this was before the war, Thank you didn't know the condition of the road from Bor to Khartoum, I thought, there was a road because before it was a same country or the one which goes with the pipeline.

[@DanielsimsSteiner]

This is so good

[@danielkrenzer2651]

Awesome Dri, I am inspired. Though just doing Muizenberg to Woodstock train journey is pretty intense.

[@driaan_louw]

Lol exactly, impossible journey

[@JoelRipke]

Loving this

[@williamrockwell9001]

Trip of a lifetime? Africa is huge. That trip seems like it would take a lifetime.

[@demorbe-official]

Great work here. i discovered your channel through Johnny Harris he shared this link on his community tab. it landed me here. i loved your works you story line is jhus amazing. being African what you talking about makes sense. we really need a inter continental transport route

[@nazeerahmedsonday5071]

Take a bicycle with and you will get there and have beautiful vistas, foods and conversations!

[@beatrizcascelli]

LOVED IT!

[@banerjeesiddharth05]

Very nice documentary 👌 👍 👏

[@nicholaskelly1958]

In 1980 I went to Sudan. In those days you could get to Juba! Also you could use the Nile steamers In the 1950's a combination of of river and lake steamers along with a few short bus connections made it relatively easy. A friend of mine father did the Journey in 1950. The high point for him was the ship across Lake Albert the SS Robert Coryndon Both Earnest Hemmingway and Sir Winston Churchill used her! With the latter noting that she had "The Best Library Afloat!"

[@Android-Dread]

Groovy - Are you ganna do it - Cape to Cairo by train !! - I want to film it !!

[@ibrahimshuaibumachika5998]

Africa needs at least two to three rail network from South Africa to north Africa and Europe to enhance trade,tourism bwt the 2 continents. There is need for another separate three rail network from Middle East to connect Africa thereby enhancing spiritual tourism and trade. Both the lines would bring out the African landlocked Countries and at the same time reduce stresses on roads network in Africa.

[@uhleka]

What about mentioning the gravy train?

[@nathanngumi8467]

Very interesting...

[@roykanyi]

Hi I'm Kenyan We have 2 types of trains here. The one from Mombasa to Nairobi is the SGR Then we have another to Kamapala MGR. But that gets up to the Kenyan boarder. Not sure about the Ugandan side.

[@likatalikata3823]

They are curently working on rehabilitating the Ugandan side. By December 2023 we should be having passenger rail services between Kenya and Uganda as far north as Gulu. Problem is south Sudan (practical dead end). Hopefully one day Kenya's SGR makes its way to Kampala and beyond...that will be the game changer in East African rail travel.

[@joshuaokoroze4534]

Lova your content! I'm very interested in all things travel and exploring Africa. Been to Capetown x3 in the last 4 years. I would love to link up with you to explore movement across Africa for Africans. It's a shame Africans cannot enjoy Thier continent

[@perifule]

Does it count to have done Alexandria to Abu Simbel and then Cape to Khartoum all in the same year (2009)? No trains though, except one across northern Mozambique.

[@Eu-Abreu]

The contemporary Portuguese project : "pink map" / "mapa cor de rosa", that intended to connect Angola and Mozambique, Indic and South Atlantic, was a more realistic one. Unfortunately the two colonial powers collided resulting in the British ultimatum to Portugal and consequently the fall of the Portuguese monarchy. Something that is a stain in the oldest alliance between Portugal and England (Treaty of Windsor) .

[@zyetta]

Driaan! Very awesome work, bud!

[@driaan_louw]

Dankie bra!

[@nairobinyeusi5811]

Most of that route is safe & one can easily drive by road from cape town to Addis Ababa. The road is also in good condition. The only issue is crossing from Ethiopia to Sudan into Egypt. But one can also travel through Uganda to Juba then into Khartoum direct to cape town.

[@sms1511]

Crossing from Ethiopia into Sudan and then Egypt isnt an issue either, there are highways connecting all of them. You just have to have the paperwork ready and plan accomidations of course.

[@nicolaasl]

I have doen this up TO Dar but i did not go the Mozambique i did Botswana

[@Biobele]

Nice video but You can actually make the cape to Cairo journey by Car 🚗 or bus 🚌 or motorcycle 🏍 or plane ✈️ many people have done it.

[@francismadoshi8529]

You can travel by fail from cape town SA to Gulu. In Uganda by rail. Gulu is on the border of Uganda and South Sudan. Soin order to reach Cairo therefore you have only a short distance to cover i e South Sudan to.Egypt..

[@KoketsoR7]

Rhoades was like elon musk, In what world boy???

[@fecalmatter4195]

Corruption seems to be a problem everywhere

[@co7013]

I know someone who did it north to south in the seventies. Quite an adventure for a young woman by herself.

[@WorldDoorStep]

Dope video. I’ve never been to Africa but I’m planning on doing an overland tour later this year

[@timthehistorian]

You ought to talk about the Hippie trail and how absurd it would be to try it today.

[@issacmaw3344]

Took the train from Cairo to Aswan in 2014. Take a spare towel that you would like to throw away. The first class seats were so black from grime it was tough to sit on for 20 odd hours. Hopefully they have changed the carriages because those haven't been cleaned in years.

[@ismailucar20]

How is it an unfortunate thing to walk on the bridge by victoria falls? 04:54

[@helencrafford2616]

Please do a video of cape town map explained

[@ProjectResident]

Interesting 🤔

[@erminpajazetovic9506]

I looovee your maps what software do you use for mapping

[@BrightTripTravel]

If we tell you, will you subscribe ;) J/K GEOlayers is what we use.

[@erminpajazetovic9506]

@@BrightTripTravel okk i will sub

[@AAED-NPO]

How long will the Cape-Cairo train journey take?

[@avus-kw2f213]

4 years 3 months & 2 weeks With 15 million dead

[@mimilouw9886]

Super interesting 🚂 Africa needs accessible and SAFE public transport! How do I tag all the appropriate governments 😂?! I live here so no one come for me.

[@Chronicles_Unearthed]

Good video I like it

[@PahatRout]

I thought a Cairo Lagos passenger-cum-freight rail link can make a lot of sense as it will shorten the journey between these 2 important economic centers in Africa.

[@philodaniell9096]

You can get from nairobi to Ethiopia by road and its actually very easy and very good.

[@likatalikata3823]

There is a passenger line between Nairobi and Nanyuki. Views of central Kenya and the snow peak of mount Kenya. It ends close to the middle of Kenya. Hopefully one day it will connect to Ethiopia.

[@UserDontiAS]

Enkosi 🙏

[@Onelove-Oneheart-h4c]

We already struggling with rail theft in South Africa

[@eliasalekai3626]

Tanzania is building a rail to rwanda burundi congo and uganda

[@sabbob574]

Actually there train operating in Tanzania up to Arusha boder to Kenya.

[@bnargacu1291]

The train route I dream about every day is Mombasa to Lagos. There is a lot of trade opportunities to make it viable.

[@umojapress2857]

That makes sense. It would open up central and west africa

[@МихайлоСєльський]

Why not Port Elizabeth to Tangier?

[@tijmenwillard2337]

So the two gaps are basically a (relatively) small one between Tanzania and Kenya and then a larger one between Uganda and Sudan/Kenya and Sudan

[@MrBoliao98]

I thought there was some kind of rail from Nairobi to Kisumu?

[@ianhomerpura8937]

Are you talking about the Meter Gauge Railway? If I remember correctly they're operating only freight.

[@MrBoliao98]

@@ianhomerpura8937 why aren't they using it? Just rehabilitate and use a metre gauge, Malaysia does it.

[@eacoincmubiru5894]

The meter gauge rail is operational for both passengers and freight.

[@ianhomerpura8937]

@@eacoincmubiru5894 thank you for the update. They have not updated the info on Wikipedia yet.

[@rory7248]

You gonna do it?

[@desertstormer7556]

People in Africa seem to be abandoned by explorers and left to DIY everything

[@nairobinyeusi5811]

Which people. Don't talk about Africa if you don't live in Africa nanii

[@burgison4032]

Unfortunately the Zimbabwean trains are not running anymore ever since Covid. Only local trains from Harare are running, the four national lines are put on halt without a prospect of restart at the moment. Beautiful videography regardless

[@muktiprateekdas9769]

If it was for cargo trains with multiple industrial complex around it then it would have been a great way for trade with in Africa right now it's a big pile of debt

[@davidbarina7598]

we need top of Africa to bottom of Africa all by buss route possible

[@galekeoma7276]

Progress in Africa is like progress made in a morbidly obese person’s weight loss journey. The difference in the 1st year is not especially noticeable because going from morbidly obese to slightly less morbidly obese would probably not be noticed by anyone except for those who see that person every day. The real difference comes after 1-4 years of weight loss and exercise. Turn those years to decades, and you get a similar story with Africa. It will likely be another 30 years before Africa looks anything like even the poorest of the EU’s members.

[@studiodjjnb9742]

But to transport wat exactly?🤔

[@benjicohn]

Who else is here because of Johnny Harris

[@PrincessVelaryon]

I'm amazed at how many China built rails there are in the continent

[@ianhomerpura8937]

The TAZARA being the first one.

[@nairobinyeusi5811]

You'd be more amazed to learn that the entire American railway system was built by the Chinese. Ironically they fail to mention that often 😂😂

[@denzzlinga]

Africa will never have an interconnected railway network. Due to historic reasons, they will be stuck with multiple networks of different gauges in different parts of africa. The southern third uses 1067mm gauge, whilt the states north to the sahara desert use standard gauge, and everything beween istn´t interconnected and are just seperate lines that use various different gauges. The chinese prefer to build with standard gauge.

[@Reppo80085]

They gonna steal the railway

[@wolly4u]

I just came back from Zambia. Transport in Africa is a big problem and also a big business. Trains are outdated and if they are going they are overcrowded with all kinds of people and animals. The most common and acceptable way for foreigners is to travel in buses. You have the choice between a cheap mini-bus (26 people in a 14 seater!) or the more expensive travel buses which are way more comfortable than all the other options (except planes). The question is not to get somewhere but much more how! What you definitely need is time to do it. Africans don’t know anything about time! They have all the time of the world… Entering Africa is a different universe where normal conditions don’t exist. Take it or leave it, you cannot change anything there.

[@jcwasheregt]

Interesting how you can't cross the Americas by train, but you can kind of get most of Eastern Africa by train! 🧐

[@gabrielmachadobsb]

That's because the US government automobile industry actively fought against and sabotage the development of rail lines in most of Latin America during the 20th century

[@nairobinyeusi5811]

😂😂Yet the imbecile is talking as if every other continent is connected by Rail except Africa. Only Europe has a continental Railway system. Asia, the Americas & Africa don't.

[@saadaq2005]

Why you divide somalia and make part of ethopia?

[@avus-kw2f213]

It’s ironic the Germans could build a railway from Berlin Baghdad but Cecil could not Cairo to Cape Town (Chancellor…………)

[@MrJohhnycongo]

Africa as the Last Continent to be developed suffers handicaps! Unfortunately!

[@BrightTripTravel]

So much potential!!

[@millie8311]

Looks like China has to come and build such route politicians can't even do tourism

[@stekra3159]

I sea border trafers in rail ways suck as much in Africa as they suck in Europe.

[@greatdamzi]

As a Pan-Africanist I do not appreciate how this guy portrays Africa. While many KZbinrs are trying to promote the continent, I have no idea what the purpose of this video is. There are ways you could have communicated the same message without painting Africa in such a bad light. The only thing I like about this is the maps.

[@avus-kw2f213]

What is pan Africanism ?

[@i_likemen5614]

@@avus-kw2f213 A political movement aimed to unite all or most of Africa into a single state

[@glendryhurst8234]

It should be Cape to Alexandria

[@BrightTripTravel]

But it doesn't alliterate! 🙄 😆

[@cccmmm1234]

Not even South Africa can fix potholes. The rest of Africa has no chance. Blame colonialism and proxy wars if you want but they are not the biggest problem by a long way.

[@leef7872]

The continent of Africa has a bright future. There are new leaders arising with plans on bringing the continent together. Instead of a bunch of small countries a more united Africa. The colonizers divided Africa into a bunch of small countries to keep them from ever becoming a super power. In the past every time a new leader will step up with plans to Unite Africa, War breaks out and the Europeans are always involved. China has been building railways, ports, dams, power sects ,and other infrastructure. It's sad that the Europeans continue to prioritize Colonizing Africa. Throughout history all they did was destabilize. So far it seems china isn't getting involved in African relations and politics. Although that can always change.

[@charlethemagne5466]

How do europeans "prioritise colonisation"? They aren't colonising anyone in the modern day stop spreading blatant lies.

[@i_likemen5614]

​@@charlethemagne5466 Europeans still partake in Neo-colonialism

[@i_likemen5614]

It seems like China is more interested in making more allies/trading partners than colonies (makes sense though China's geography and resources is amazing)

[@Indian2.5]

Johnny Harris 🙏

[@asdsdjfasdjxajiosdqw8791]

Trains are where it's at. Don't bother with stinky cars

[@FeliussRexx]

It is too bad that you can't use the pre- colonial infrastructure.

[@lpiavelino6598]

reparations for colonisation.

[@JoshAda0650]

Cecil John Rhodes and Elon Musk aren't comparable.... One was a ruthless colonist and gay (never had a family nor kids despite being a millionaire and prime minister)... Another is a scientist, industrialist, inventor and a family man

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

Elon Musk is not a scientist, he's been lying about having a science degree for years. He is such a good family man that his wife left him.

[@arlosmith9504]

Rhodes was, indeed, a ruthless colonialist. But, unlike Musk, he was a competent businessman.

[@reinhardtburger7108]

​@@arlosmith9504 He was not competent, if he was he would have succeeded. He was a gay leftist that believed in the idea of a global empire and massive government. He also was not a self made man he was funded by nathan rothschild. He was the classic example of english planter culture a complete degenerate.

[@garethbelk4065]

as the world master traveller i condemn most of what this young man suggests, esp the bit where he says to go across areas controlled by bandits and terrorists, DONT. u WILL NEVER COME OUT ALIVE. i `ve been on 4 world journeys including 2 complete circumnavigations of the world, one west and one east, theres no one hows travelled more then i have. I have a built in instinct when trouble is ahead, as i`m here alive today. Most of the many countries i`ve done have had some problem or other. To ask someone else to do what i have done would be very wrong and stupid. Always relay on local knowledge and dont listen to an armchair traveller. Nurture travel angels, people who will help u on your travels, again i wouldn`t be here without them. Bye now

[@pauloakwood9208]

Bored from minute 2

[@slowmopoke]

It's all very tiresome

[@flakes369]

Colonialism was the greatest thing to happen to Africa

[@ianhomerpura8937]

Not counting the millions killed.

[@nairobinyeusi5811]

Colonisation saved Europe time from it's unavoidable extinction. Europe is nothing Without Africa and has always been a miserable disease ravaged place before "discovering" Africa.

[@lifeline.6144]

how when they literally f*cked up them up? The west keeps exploiting their resources and destabilizing their economies and not just Africa. y’all only say this to cope and justify the atrocities that happened there

[@nairobinyeusi5811]

@@lifeline.6144 The west is basically nothing Without Africa. Their entire survival depends on Africa. Europe is a land of nothingness that's why Russia alone controls the gas supply of Europe. The oil consumed in the west is also from the middle East & Africa. If OPEC decides to cut oil supplies to the west you crumble to death. As Russia & China begins to launch the New World Order of the 21st century the West will be at the mercies of Africa and the East. You don't even have numbers, your population is dying off. And by the close of this century Africa will have it's sweet revenge at your weakest point. As we speak the Saudis and Qataris already own Europe. Morocco basically owns Spain it's former colony.

[@avus-kw2f213]

No Jesus was

[@gibinbabu27]

Indian KZbinrs @Travelista & @TravelStoriesbyShyjo just completed this #CapeToCairo trip.

[@southface6684]

Egypt take all the business lol

[@FelexAndVirginia]

Hello bright trip actually there's a extra train (old British railway 🛤) 🚉 from Nairobi to kisumu i feel you left that out