A Zimbabwean couple cycling from Zimbabwe to Nigeria in a campaign to promote sustainable tourism has arrived in Namibia.

Vusumuzi Mnkandla and Thandolwenkosi Tshuma began their journey in July with the goal of encouraging responsible travel that boosts local economies, protects the environment, and promotes cultural exchange.

In an interview with NBC Sport, the couple described their journey as both memorable and adventurous. They noted that while the mission is personal, they have received strong financial support from individuals across Africa.

"From the word itself, we really need to take care of everything that we have so that we don't run out of our natural resources. Even after a very long time, human beings still need to survive. Everything we have, life has to continue, so sustainability is the way to go."

"As for me as a woman, I just want to empower women and tell them that they can do anything, despite being told that these things are for men or this thing cannot be done by a female. So for me, it is to inspire ladies that we can actually do anything in this world, despite any challenges, and despite people taking you for granted. You can't do anything, so yeah, just empower women."

They also pointed out some of the challenges faced along the way, including adapting to different weather conditions, dealing with health setbacks, and handling bicycle mechanical issues.

"The first challenge that we had was in Mozambique, when we actually had food poisoning. And then after that, we realized that it was actually the water because we were changing from district to district, and we were drinking that water from those districts. So we learned that we are not supposed to drink any water from any locals; we just have to buy water. And another thing, in Malawi we had severe malaria, which was one of the challenges. So we had to stop our journey for at least two weeks so that we could recover from that disease. So now we have learned that we are supposed to buy malaria treatment or take malaria vaccines."

After reaching Nigeria, the couple plans to continue their journey through 11 more African countries. This marks their third season of cycling across Africa, following earlier expeditions from South Africa to Kenya, and from Kenya back to Zimbabwe.