The expedition is a celebration of the Nissan brand and its African heritage. The only automotive manufacturer to have wholly owned manufacturing plants in Egypt and South Africa, the Japanese automotive manufacturer has been in Africa for more than 60 years – and making vehicles in Africa for as long from its Rosslyn plant, which today is the company’s LCV manufacturing hub for the entire continent, complemented by its plant in Cairo, Egypt, which is its passenger vehicle assembly centre.

Represented in every country on the continent, Nissan recently opened up new markets, bringing North Africa into the Nissan Africa fold for the first time in the company’s 90-year history.

“It’s all part of our mid-term growth strategy to unlock the potential that this continent has as the world’s last automotive frontier by providing the best line-up of models to meet Africa’s mobility needs in a sustainable, safe and aspirational way,” says Sherief Eldessouky, Nissan Africa managing director.

“This odyssey from the African home of the Navara is a wonderful celebration of this vehicle,” he says. “It’s all-new and built right here in Rosslyn, by Africans for Africans.

“This initiative is also a great opportunity for us to reconnect with people and places that this incredible company has been servicing for so long with such great success,” he says.

It is also physical proof, according to him, of Nissan’s footprint in Africa and the company’s ability to support the entire range of vehicles it sells with the right parts and the best trained technicians in each of these countries. The Navaras will be accompanied on their odyssey by a Nissan X-Trail acting as a support vehicle, which will also give the X-Trail an opportunity to prove its adventure credentials on some of Africa’s highways.

The expedition is daring, says Nissan Africa Head of Communications and PR Ramy Mohareb, in keeping with the company’s 90th birthday celebrations last year.

“We are proving our promise that the entire range of the Nissan Navara, which we build on the continent, is equal to the severest road conditions that Africa has to offer as we connect our two manufacturing hubs on either end of the continent as we prepare to launch the Navara into the Egypt market,” he says.

The expedition is also a wonderful showcase for the Navara says Nissan Africa marketing director, Stefan Haasbroek: “Our new Nissan Navara, the best pick-up we have ever made, is literally built of more: it has a reinforced chassis, the suspension is different and the roll over angle is the best in the market. It is the perfect vehicle to continue Nissan’s strong pick-up legacy in South Africa.”

The fully accessorised expedition Navaras will be on display at select Nissan dealerships for the public to view.