What started as just another fun idea between father and son has turned into a cross-continent mission with a charitable purpose.
Tony van Tonder, 69, and his son, Anthony, 31 — who jointly go by the name “Ants in Africa” — plan to travel from SA to Kenya as part of the Africa Rally’s Challenger Route.
They aim to raise funds for the Simbonga Sanctuary, based in Nelson Mandela Bay, and Warriors of Wildlife, organisations that rescue and rehabilitate abused big cats.
Their journey will officially start on Sunday at the Hartbeespoort Dam and end on July 26 in Kenya.
They are among 50 entrants, each supporting a different charitable cause.
Participants are allowed to choose their own route, depending on their vehicle, which also allows them to have their own unique experiences.
Dad Tony will join Anthony in Gauteng before they set off on their adventure.
“My son and I have been talking about doing this for years, and this year we finally decided to enter the Africa Rally.
“We will travel from Hartbeespoort Dam to Botswana, then to Zambia and to Malawi, which is the halfway point.
“From there, we will travel to Tanzania and then head to our final destination, which is Kenya.”
Tony said they would be travelling in a 4x4, and would take some detours along the way.
“I am excited to explore Africa and see parts of the continent that most people don’t get to see,” he said.
Choosing the Simbonga Sanctuary as their beneficiary was easy for the Gqeberha father and son, as they know the managers personally and have seen for themselves how impactful their work is.
According to Anthony, his family has always cared deeply about animals, and this trip is an extension of that.
“My mom has been a vet receptionist for many years, so we have always loved animals.
“The work that they do is incredible, and we are happy to be able to raise funds for them.
“This is also a great bonding opportunity for me and my dad.
“As adults, we don’t always spend as much time with our parents, so I’m excited to spend three weeks with my dad exploring Africa,” Anthony said.
Warriors of Life founder and director Lionel de Lange is currentlyin Ukraine, where he continues his animal rescue work in the middle of the conflict.
He shared how meaningful it was when people like the Van Tonders stepped up to support their mission because running the sanctuary was an expensive exercise.
“We have 14 lions and a tiger that have been rescued, and we are doing our best to take care of them.
“The vet bills are very expensive. Just three months ago, we spent R30,000 on dental work for the lions.
“Many of these animals arrive here in bad shape.
“It is a tiring job, but we have committed ourselves to this work because we care about the animals and want to rescue as many as we can,” De Lange said.
Initially, the Van Tonders had set a fundraising goal of R25,000, but after seeing the positive response from the public even before they embarked on the trip, they decided to raise the goal to R50,000.
They also plan to document their journey on their Facebook page, Ants in Africa.
The Herald
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