Tackling Namibia's Kaokoland in a stock Suzuki Jimny

Kaokoland is a remote area in the north-west of Namibia. It is a tough place, best tackled in a hardy 4x4, fitted with resilient off-road tyres and carrying sufficient fuel, ideally with a back-up 4x4 too.

Yet there we were, in this tough Kaokoland, in a stock-standard Suzuki Jimny 1.5 GL. By ourselves. As the saying goes: An adventure without risk, challenge and potential hardship is no adventure.

We were in Namibia to finalise a route for Rally for Rangers, an international conservation project. This event revolves around conservation and exploring lesser-travelled tracks on motorcycles with a low environmental impact. After the rally the motorcycles are to be donated to the Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) community rangers to patrol remote regions.

We aimed the Jimny’s nose north-east from Windhoek. At 120km/h it offered a pleasant and surprisingly relaxing ride, the five-speed manual ‘box and 1.5l engine making for good bed fellows. At higher speeds the Suzuki becomes more frenetic, less sure-footed, and less pleasant.

We soon tackled copious amounts of gravel roads, the Suzuki’s 4WD system engaged. The naturally aspirated engine delivers 75kW and 130Nm, and there is sufficient torque available at low revs. On the fast-slow-fast-slow roads, fifth gear pleasantly covered anything between 40 and 100km/h.

The Suzuki averaged 9l/100km on the dirt tracks, but the fuel tank can only store 40 litres, so range anxiety is very much a Jimny trait in a remote area such as Kaokoland.

We resorted to filling up whenever we came across a filling station. Testing the theoretical 440km range per tank (if you ran it bone dry) was not an option here. The solution? Carry extra fuel, of course. As we did.

Still, keeping a constant, beady eye on the fuel gauge is rather distracting.

We came across a Herero family’s flamboyant dwelling, formerly a popular tourist stop. A friendly young lady showed us around. Her grandmother insisted on some photographs, followed by a suggestion that her granddaughter would make for an excellent bride.

We suspected that our spouses would frown upon such a union, so kindly declined.

We aimed the Jimny towards the remote outpost of Puros on lesser-travelled tracks, untroubled. But in Namibia the only certain thing is that nothing is certain. Driving at 100km/h on a smooth section, a Dunlop AT22 tyre expired in dramatic fashion, calling the Jimny’s stability control system to arms.  

We had an air compressor and tyre repair kit handy, but this tyre was in a state of Eskom ... far beyond saving. This posed a conundrum. With the spare wheel fitted we no longer had a suitable back-up. Continuing as is would be foolhardy.

A detour landed us in Opuwo, where we tracked down a suitably sized commercial tyre. But we had run out of daylight. We had to find a place to stay.

IRDNC head ranger Gerson Muzuma had a plan: a room at the Catholic church, at R150 per person. And so we spent the night in the Catholic Church, after some, er, divine intervention.

The next day we made it to Puros after negotiating rocky mountain tracks, dry riverbeds and dunes. The Jimny sure had its work cut out. Yet it never faltered, never missed a beat.

A couple days later we arrived in Windhoek, mission accomplished. A fixable puncture was the only further mishap.

The Suzuki Jimny, with it’s hardy live axle set-up, is one tough little 4x4. Capable too, with the part-time Allgrip four-wheel drive system (with low range transfer case and a brake limited-slip traction control system) getting the Jimny through all the sticky situations. The cabin is comfortable enough for two people (and their gear), and the Jimny won’t break the bank at the filling station. It’s also bags of fun to drive.

And a standard Jimny in Kaokoland? We’d have preferred to upgrade the tyres with more off-road versions, and back that up with upgraded shock absorbers and springs. We’d also fit a larger fuel tank or carry additional fuel in jerry cans. 

But even in stock trim a Suzuki Jimny can do Kaokoland. All day. Every day.

Danie Botha is a veteran motoring journalist, publisher, television producer and off-road expert.