Incredible Snowfall in Witzenberg / Ceres, South Africa

#snow #SouthAfrica #Today
The Western Cape in South Africa has seen a phenomenal amount of snow in the past week. News stations report that this is the most amount of snow we've had in 30 to 40 years.
It is extremely beautiful, but many people put themselves in danger by venturing into the snowy mountains without the correct equipment and vehicles.
Be on the lookout for the longer video releasing soon, where we cover all the recoveries we did on the day AND during night time. There are so eye opening, scary stories.

[@ChristoffSmit]

We are extremely overwhelmed by being flooded with literally 100's of amazing comments/messages on KZbin, Instagram and TikTok. Thank you to each and everyone who is taking the time to watch our videos. We appreciate every single view, more than what you know. Never did I think that this would be possible. Our video about the night time rescues is dropping tomorrow (15 July 2024), don't miss that one 😁 Much love, The entire crew ❤

[@nigelvergotine965]

You are a good person you saved my 6 year old from the cold 🥶. God bless you and your family 👪

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you so much for the amazing comment 🤩 Which vehicle was your 6 year old in? So glad we were able to help!

[@nigelvergotine965]

@@ChristoffSmit nr 5. They was with their grandparents. Old school Toyota Hilux bakkie

[@ChristoffSmit]

Oh, I see! I am really glad we were able to help them. We were especially worried about them. It had to be a very cold night on that mountain that they had to endure.

[@juliamilford1979]

very kind and generous of you to go out and rescue the folks who got stuck. Very few in SA have any skill driving in snow especially with 2x4 and smooth tyres!

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you, really do appreciate the kind words 🤩 Exactly our thoughts, we never deal with snow in SA, so the people won't know how to drive in it.

[@cheralenevergotine3797]

👍👏

[@Rebelheart06]

Wow! Awesome footage!👌💯🙏

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you so much 🤩

[@Scoops-g7j]

Well done 👏 chaps ...you doing great work and kindness to fellow human beings 😊😅❤

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you so much for the kind words 😁

[@SaijaEngelbrecht]

Dankie vir julle mens waardigheid.... God seen julle... 💪

[@ChristoffSmit]

Baie dankie, ons waardeer dit 😁

[@LubbeArt]

Awesome video, and well done with rescue efforts

[@ChristoffSmit]

@@LubbeArt Glad you like it and thank you 😁 The longer one with all the recoveries is almost done.

[@bence8642]

Summer snow SA is the most beatiful country in the world

[@ExpansionTraderFX]

It's not summer, our summer start from November - march

[@aprilsmith3683]

Our people...🇿🇦

[@LebohangEdwinMoloi]

You guys are something else ❤❤❤❤ no good deed goes unnoticed.

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you for the kind words 😁

[@helmienolivier9333]

Ons is hier in jou video...... Soma aam begin ons staan by bakkie wat vassit, ek waai toe nogal. Was baie mooi dir sneeu en dankie vir jou video was lekker en mooi om te sien

[@ChristoffSmit]

Ah great! Ek onthou vir julle. Die hele clip met julle in is in die lang video wat later vandag release 😁 Dit was ongelooflik mooi om te sien en dankie, bly jy het die video geniet 🤩

[@myrabenson1603]

New experience for many driving in the snowy conditions

[@ChristoffSmit]

Without a doubt. Most of our recoveries the people told us they just started sliding and didn't know what to do. Or they get stuck, but they can't seem to spin the snow away. We did give some tips to the ones we've helped, to make sure they get home safely.

[@noravanwyk5460]

Thankyou so much for sharing . Thankyou also to all the good neighbourly folk , assisting those in difficulties out in the snow. ❤

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you for watching and the kind words 😁

[@noravanwyk5460]

@@ChristoffSmit You're welcome . 🤗

[@Michael-hm8cs]

Awesome! Wish I could have been there to help.

[@ChristoffSmit]

There's always a next time 😎

[@francoisrossouw1656]

Good Man! What an experience to do this at night.

[@ChristoffSmit]

It was such an experience! Luckily we have lots of lights 🤣

[@valsables5299]

I GOT STUCKED IN A HOTEL BY THIS HEAVY SNOWFALL. HAD MY SECRETARY WITH ME. WE ARE STILL HERE. GOOD FOOD. WINE. SERVICE.

[@ChristoffSmit]

Well, that didn't play out too badly then. Good food and wine in this weather always works 😁

[@naseemkhan4978]

the tyres on that land cruiser is awesome

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you. They do work and look quite mean 😎

[@dawidwagner3538]

Nice video

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you very much 🤩

[@DieterPey]

What an experience! 💥

[@ChristoffSmit]

@@DieterPey It was! Hopefully more to come before winter is over.

[@TerrainTactics]

Crazy to think this is in SA😅 awesome video, well done

[@ChristoffSmit]

Exactly... I am still blown away by this experience. Thank you, glad you've enjoyed it.

[@tshegofatsm]

Beautiful. We need snow tyres in this country

[@ChristoffSmit]

I agree. I would be one of the first to buy a set 🤣

[@rew3363]

I wanted to get a Toyota 4x4? It seems the type of tyres are key for driving in those conditions

[@ChristoffSmit]

The tyres do make a huge difference yes. I am using mud terrain tyres and the other guys on normal and all terrain tyres struggled more without a doubt. Your experience however also plays a big role. But asking me if you should buy a Toyota 4x4, the answer will always be yes 🤣

[@CamvanAken]

Julle is engele. Dankie vir mens wees!

[@ChristoffSmit]

Baie dankie vir die wonderlike comment 😁🤩

[@PetraMyburgh-vr1kj]

Julle het pas n fan gekry uit Velddrif! Wonderlike hulp wat julle daar aangebied het! Wel gedaan!

[@ChristoffSmit]

Baie dankie, dit is wonderlike nuus 🤩 Bly julle het dit geniet.

[@erwinkruger-haye2698]

I cannot believe people with wrong tyres and no snow driving skill in 4x2 vehicles…..with whole families…we are not the most responsible nation😂 great video….should be used to teach people about vehicles and tyres for conditions..

[@ChristoffSmit]

No, we are not the most responsible nation 🤣 That is very true. Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 🤩

[@johnnydale6515]

Goeie werke manne

[@ChristoffSmit]

Baie dankie. Waardeer dit 😁

[@LinKatHen]

Yes a very big thank you for your rescue effort. Thinking also of those poor souls in the back of that bakkie that was stuck in snow - must have been freezing cold and did people have drinking water??

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you so much for the kind words 😁 The people in that bakkie we were quite worried about. The one young guy that was the closest to the rear canopy door during the night was extremely cold. He could barely function or talk. So luckily we could get them out and on their way quickly so they can get to the little town just down the mountain. Also, they had no food left, all cellphones were flat, so they didn't even have a light during the entire night. Scary stuff

[@lizaC0001]

@@ChristoffSmit Of all the bakkies that were stuck, the one with people in the back was an extreme concern. Thank you to you and all who helped them to safety. It was a life saving gesture.

[@vjmightyw]

@@ChristoffSmit May God bless you Christo, from Port Elizabeth, never seen snow in real life.

[@ChristoffSmit]

@@lizaC0001 That was a concern indeed, especially the one young guy and little girl, they were frozen. At that moment we've really realized how quickly they need to get out of there. Thank you for the beautiful comment though 😁

[@ChristoffSmit]

@@vjmightyw Thank you for such a caring comment. It's highly appreciated. And you should definitely make it a goal to see snow in real life. Quite an experience.

[@Africasideways]

very groovy

[@ChristoffSmit]

It was groovy indeed. Although we were serious about getting many people unstuck, we still had a lot of fun 🤩

[@justinlawrence4562]

Awesome video, guys. You boys are lucky to live close by the snow. Many hours drive here in the Eastern Cape to get to snow. I am sure you know the cost of driving a V6 Hilux when it comes to fuel 🤣 Toyota 💪😎

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you very much 💪🏽 We are lucky to live only an hour away. For you it is very far, but you have more frequent snowfall? Over here we maybe experience it once a year, for a few days if we lucky. And yes, we know the cost all too well of these V6's 😐 They are not kind to the bank account 🤣🤣

[@justinlawrence4562]

@ChristoffSmit we do but only in the northern part of the Eastern Cape . Which is about a 5-hour drive from where I live. I love my V6 it's a killer in the dunes. It's smiles per mile, not litres per 100. 🤣

[@ChristoffSmit]

@@justinlawrence4562 Wow, okay, 5 hour drive is a weekend away to go snow hunting 🤣 And that is the best one I've heard so far, smiles per miles. That is the only way to describe a V6. Especially in the dunes yes.

[@stephandeswardt5802]

In 1974 het dit ook so lekker gesneeu in dd omgewing.... .ek het nog skyfies van my motor in die sneeu.....

[@ChristoffSmit]

Ongelooflik! Ek sal daardie skyfies SO graag wil sien.

[@anthonybarnard3527]

The Bakkie/SUV gang at it s best.

[@ChristoffSmit]

Making full use of the vehicles and what they are capable of 😎🤩

[@valerioscarpone1790]

Ja dit sneeu daar in Suid Afrika . Ek het daar groot geword . Hier in Italie gebriuk ons snow chains en tyres 4 all season vir beter grip op sneeu en ys .

[@ChristoffSmit]

Ja, hier is dit nie sommer iets wat n mens kan kry nie. Ons moet maar doen met wat ons het 😂

[@cocochanel6495]

Very common if you live in Alberta. Wow!

[@ChristoffSmit]

Yeah, we are not so used to these kind of conditions, so when it does happen, we really enjoy ourselves 🤣

[@elizekohler6199]

Someone must start a company now to assist vehicles stuck in the snow, like the Ice road rescue program on TV. Also bringing in those chains for the tyres. Feel so sad about the wildlife. They must be starving and freezing.

[@ChristoffSmit]

That would be fantastic, as long as they use me for the TV program 🤣 But I think we would need much more snowfall to make that worth it, 2 days a year is not enough. We also discussed that, we saw lots of cattle and sheep just standing around, in the snow. No idea if they mind it or not.

[@rudivonstaden]

Sounds like a South African edition of the Matt’s Off Road Recovery KZbin channel. It would be excellent!

[@ChristoffSmit]

Now we're talking 🤩 I absolutely love his channel. They are living the life in my opinion.

[@gregoryaimable630]

Is there anything like winter tyres in souht africa ❤🎉

[@ChristoffSmit]

Nothing like snow tyres or so, the closest I've seen is mud terrain tyres. That is what I am using at the moment 😁

[@lindavanalphen5046]

Snow

[@bruceborrett]

What tyres you using there?

[@ChristoffSmit]

The BFG Mud Terrains, 35's

[@bruceborrett]

@@ChristoffSmit worth the money it seems

[@ChristoffSmit]

@@bruceborrett It definitely is. I was very sceptical at first, but they are great. Even smooth on the highways, although we not discussing fuel consumption 🤣

[@bruceborrett]

And you have the V6? Which is a guzzler to start with 😵

[@ChristoffSmit]

Exactly 😭🤣 But such a beast of a machine, super strong and super reliable.

[@hasbulla_rsa]

Planning on going there this upcoming weekend, do you think there will still be snow worth seeing?

[@ChristoffSmit]

We suspect there might be snow again this weekend yes. From Friday to Sunday, but not nearly as much as currently/in this video. We are also planning on going again, but you'll have to go up much higher to find snow we believe.

[@hasbulla_rsa]

@@ChristoffSmit Thanks! Will definitely make the trip still. I have Quattro, but don't want to take chances getting myself into too much trouble as some of the folks in the video.

[@ChristoffSmit]

@@hasbulla_rsa We are releasing the long video tomorrow morning with all the recoveries, you'll see a Quattro in there. Avant. We didn't film the recovery on him, but he was slipping and sliding all over the place, which was weird. The Quattro should be able to handle it. If you run into trouble, we'll be in the area though 🤣

[@lindavanalphen5046]

​@@ChristoffSmitawesome people. Thank you for helping those in need. 🤗

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you 😁

[@JohannaWooldridge-b8g]

Just a quick question, why no one have snow tires on? But u want to go play in the snow! Hope everyone is OK that got stuck in the snow

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you for your question 😁 Snow tires isn't really something we have in South Africa, especially in the South of SA. We have these kind of conditions only for a few days a year and then it's only at the highest mountain passes and very little people in those areas. The main problem is that lots of people flock to the snow on such days and that is where the trouble starts. Everyone was OK in the end, we went back the same night and rescued the last people stuck on the mountain.

[@123abc-wy6fe]

South Africa does not normally get snow. However, this is beautiful❤

[@MGrace1039]

Wow!I think I'll just stay in africa

[@ChristoffSmit]

Not a bad idea 🤣 Where in Africa are you?

[@stephandeswardt5802]

Dit was oor die Theronsberg pas en die vlaktes daarna, saam met wyle Niel Prins vd plaas, ek dink, De Hoop. Ek onthou dit soos gister......die skyfies is nog ongeskonde!

[@ChristoffSmit]

Dalk dit laat in scan en dan post erens? Soos op een van die history Facebook pages. Baie mense sal dit waardeer.

[@ishaammoorad1579]

Is this the heaviest snow on record?

[@ChristoffSmit]

@@ishaammoorad1579 Yes it is, for the past 30 to 40 years 😁

[@ishaammoorad1579]

@@ChristoffSmit wow, thanks.

[@shahiedcassiem9504]

Don't the we learn and watch with what tyre's you need too drive in snow. 😮 I watch that ice rescue that tells you.

[@ChristoffSmit]

Yeah, I just don't think we have those tyres available in South Africa. It doesn't often snow here and if it does, it's only for a few days and not on roads that gets used a lot.

[@shahiedcassiem9504]

@ChristoffSmit I understand what you mean but I thank you for giving those people good advice about ice roads.👍

[@BushRatNZ]

This is worse than our current NZ winter.....

[@ChristoffSmit]

Yes, our winter this year is not playing around. Took a long time to start, but started with a bang!

[@banelemakhaye7372]

2 months later, your snow reached KZN 🥶

[@ChristoffSmit]

It seems so... We want to be there so badly though. So many people who needs help to get out of the snow.

[@red_headed_goddess]

seems like by and large the majority of the vehicles are there to show off and so they run into trouble

[@ChristoffSmit]

I don't think it's to show off. People mainly want to visit the snow to experience it and also many people are there with their kids. Driver capability, knowing what your vehicle can do and knowledge of driving in snow is just limited.

[@sidweazel2883]

Great video but had to mute the sound. Without mute it was unwatchable.

[@ChristoffSmit]

I am sorry to hear that 😔 Why did you have to mute? So we can look into the issue with the next upload.

[@stevenwortrich6014]

The make and model of the vehicle is irrelevant, as none of them are adapted for driving in snow, neither are most drivers skilled enough for these conditions. Time to employ both disc and snow ploughs for the future in area's where the repeat of these conditions might occur.

[@ChristoffSmit]

I agree, although if you have a vehicle that isn't only 4x4/AWD, but also have difflock or lockers, it does make a huge difference. I understand though that it doesn't make sense for everyone to drive such a vehicle as a daily because they might be in such a situation once in a lifetime. The snow affect a very limited amount of roads here and it's purely mountainous farmland, so I doubt they'll deploy equipment for a few days a year.

[@stevenwortrich6014]

@@ChristoffSmit I was thinking more along the lines of fitting snow tyre chains as we do in Europe

[@ChristoffSmit]

@@stevenwortrich6014 That would work very well, but I doubt you'll find in SA? You'll have to bring them in from Europe I would suggest.

[@JohnDuPreez-r4z]

Yippee...NOW we can really put this 1.2 million 4x4 baby into 4 wheel drive....get out of the city...be pioneers...lets see...pre trip checks...mmmh emergency blankets,gas bottle plus spare canister,2 pkts blitz,2 bags genuine kameeldoring firewood,fold out shove,4 jerry cans spare fuel,20 grands worth of gear from camp and climb,rooftop tent go pro camera,dash cam,gps,emergency survivalist trommel,gerber boot knife,tow rope,pre trip winch check, camel leather gloves for winching,inflatable air jacks,4x4 caravan,SAS SURVIVAL MANUAL,Bear Grills toenail clippers,200 metres climbing rope ( elasticized)...stainless steel comb/ninja fighting spike combination,etc etc etc.Vroom vroom off we go...well yes darling it did take an entire night and most of the morning to prepare THE BEAST" for the road but I was still ready before you..Yes I KNOW its hard to choose zitzy gear that is practical but still doesnt clash with your hairstyle.Hours later after driving like a d...h..d our hero ,his wife and squealing brats (after eating and drinking and oohing and aahing at numerous genuine,the real mc Coy (been in the family since 15 BC) Wine "farms."..Factories would be a better term...and Woolworths style farmstalls selling absolutely nothing that has been grown on the farm except for (maybe ) a few battery chickens and pigs raised in the most criminally cruel way.. To cut a really long story short (Not enough space here to bring in Freud ,Einstein Jung and other scripwriters of a similar ilk) our brave pioneering family arrives at the snow (thank God for Google Maps AND GPS )...takes a thousand selfies...Whatsapps...to all and sundrie...bored now and freezing cold they execute prepare to exit and next thing is they are stuck...unbelievable shouts daddy...furiously dialling the salesman who sold him this entire top of the range rig...but its Sunday and our salesman is watching rugby and his phone is off.And so they join the crowd of rubberneckers from the city to wait for the Tolla van der Merwes met n lekker paar happe in die maag en n v6 onder die bonnet.Stay at home palookas and stop polluting the country with your exhaust fumes 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ChristoffSmit]

Come on man! My script for the video was suppose to stay private. Where did you find it? 🤣🤣🤣

[@francoisduplessis2413]

start getting snow chains! i worked in Russia never drive in snow with out chains!

[@ChristoffSmit]

I am unsure if we're even able to get in South Africa. We only have these kind of conditions for a few days a year and you specifically have to go there. The main roads and towns doesn't get any snowfall. Would love to have a reason for buying chains though 🤣

[@andrenell2237]

No snow chains are crazy to go out into the snow.

[@ChristoffSmit]

That would make a very big difference, but not something we have or use in the South of South Africa. We have these kind of conditions for 2 days a year and it's also not in very populated areas.

[@wernerffriesenbichler2485]

why your tyres so hard my bru let them down a bit

[@ChristoffSmit]

🤣 they are on 2bar yes. I do explain it in the longer video dropping later today, but to give a bit of context. We enjoy slipping and sliding, being sideways and those kind of things. We always see how far we can get without deflating, engaging lockers, low range and those kind of things when doing these kind of things, 4x4 etc.

[@simonjohnmorris9436]

Every one wanted an adventure, they sure got it, only a modified toyota hilux with true 4x4 is made for these snow conditions

[@ChristoffSmit]

It sure was an adventure yes and the Prado out performed pretty much everything else.

[@pietervanbreda4360]

Wow, seems the Toy's does not like snow

[@ChristoffSmit]

I was also wondering the same thing 🤣 The only two options I could come up with was either 1. There's more Toyota's on the road. 2. Toyota's and snow does not work well together. Although most of us drive Toyota and none of us got stuck 🤣

[@michaellawson6533]

Sit vas op die pas en seepglad.

[@ChristoffSmit]

Dit was seepglad gewees, maar super lekker 🤣

[@pdgg7025]

Wonderful assistance to the people. 👏🏿🦾

[@ChristoffSmit]

Thank you 😁