Couple Travels From Johannesburg to Great Zimbabwe for 10 Days: “Easiest Border Crossings”

• A woman named Kate shared that she and her partner travelled from Johannesburg to Great Zimbabwe
• The South African traveller described the roads as having a mix of roadworks, trucks and broken tar
• Some social media users appreciated the woman's documentation of the country, while others wondered why she didn't show other roads she travelled

A South African couple documented their 10-day overlanding trip from Johannesburg to Great Zimbabwe, departing the city at 4 am for Beitbridge. Internet users admired the country's beauty, while others thought it wasn't shared at all.

On 5 September, 2025, TikTok user Kate Omega uploaded a video of Day 1 of her and her partner's journey to her account.

She told people online:

"Honestly, it was one of the easiest border crossings we’ve ever had. The South African side was quick, and then on the Zim side, we were met by a tourism official who walked us through every step.

"She explained everything, made sure we knew the process is completely free, and warned us not to take 'help' from anyone asking for money. The new building is really impressive, too."

Kate noted that the roads to their destination were a mix of roadworks, trucks and broken tar, which possibly affected their Land Rover Defender.

After a five-hour drive from the border to Great Zimbabwe and arriving at sunset, the couple set up camp and ate a frozen dinner they brought from home before calling it a night.

In a separate video, Kate shared that they explored the Great Enclosure, the ancient ruins in Zimbabwe. Afterwards, they headed to Nyanga for a friend's wedding.

People comment on trip to Great Zimbabwe

Many social media users, including Zimbabweans, took to the comment section to thank the woman for showing the country's beauty. However, others wondered why the woman only showed the dirt roads, which they felt fuelled negative stereotypes about the country.

@cherisejoyr shared with the online community:

"I drove through there, it’s so beautiful at night. The stars are just out of this world."

@teddybear210799, who noted how jealous they were of the journey the couple experienced together, wrote in the comment section:

"I'm hoping I get an opportunity to do this at some point in my life."

@teekay8027 said under the post:

"It would be nice if you showed the good parts of the road between Beitbridge and Masvingo. The picture that one gets is that it's all dust roads until your destination."

@therev91matormaks also commented on the path travelled:

"Thank you for visiting Zimbabwe and also for showing the world those bad roads so that when others want to visit, they will come prepared."

The traveller replied to the TikTok user:

"We loved our trip. We have lots more to share. We don’t mind tough roads, but like to share so people can be prepared."

@nathanielkay stated with a laugh:

"You had a lucky day at Beitbridge on the South African side. It's usually a nightmare."

@marcel.smith26 humorously added in the comments:

"African countries will test your driving skills, concentration, abilities to think, and not to think. They just test your whole existence as a human being."

Take a look at the TikTok video below:

3 Other stories about long-distance travelling

• In another article, Briefly News reported that a travel content creator travelled 7 730km from South Africa to Ghana by bus, spending over 100 hours in the vehicle across the continent.
• A student documented her emotional journey from Polokwane to the University of Venda. Her video resonated with people who understood the bittersweet experience of leaving home for studies.
• A frustrated woman shared that she had to travel over 4km to attend her friend's dog's funeral. The story was met with mixed emotions; some found it funny, while others questioned why she would travel so far.

Source: Briefly News