How to experience a Land Rover without buying one:
Let’s be honest. Few South Africans can afford the luxury brand Land Rover. It’s difficult for most of us to step into a car that costs over R1 million, especially in this economy.
But we South Africans like nice things — even if it’s just for a short period of time. We thrive on the thrill of beautiful experiences and those little things are what make us happy — what make us forget the challenges we face for a short time.
Since the Land Rover Defender was relaunched in 2019, it has become smooth on the eye. Nobody ever doubted its off-road capabilities, and those who had one formed their own little community, but now it offers the best of both worlds — toughness and looks.
When you see a new Defender on the road, its aura almost puts you the same trance you experience when a G-Wagon drives past you. It has become one of those vehicles that get added to your wishlist, although you might never be able to own them.
Fortunately, the Jaguar Land Rover Experience Centre in the Johannesburg suburb of Sandton, which is open to the public, offers you a time in the Land Rover model of your choice to show you what the vehicles are all about.
My selection was the Defender 110 D350, which is a powerful vehicle. It started off with a smooth drive around Sandton and Fourways, where you can enjoy the vehicle on the N3, depending on the traffic. You finally get to be the guy on the road who everyone is looking at. But this experience went well past showing off.
When you come back to the experience centre, you can take the vehicle around a trail designed to allow you to feel what a Land Rover — in my case, the Defender — can do.
Sure, the big screens inside the vehicle, the technology, the pure luxury are sweet treats when it comes to any Land Rover, but I had no idea that what was about to come would push my adrenaline to the same levels that the Tower of Terror at Gold Reef City does.
To start off, the instructor brought me to a steep incline, the first of many. This was a sand road and seemed nothing major — except that when you are moving up the slope, the only view you have is of the sky. It was about trusting the camera, keeping tyres on tracks and just making it to the other side.
We also went up muddy and rocky inclines but, using the same principles and the correct driving mode, that became a breeze after I had completed the first one.
The experience got more thrilling as I continued.
At one point we drove over some rocks and I was instructed to turn one wheel onto a higher rock. I felt a tremble in my stomach, the car felt as if it was about to capsize, and then it just stopped. I could see that my instructor was having fun, but I had never experienced anything like this before, so it took me a moment to realise that the car was not on its side.
When I got out, I found one tyre was off the ground but there was the Defender, perfectly balanced on three wheels.
We moved on to drive through 700mm of water. The Defender is capable of navigating a maximum depth of almost 900mm of water, so this was cutting it close, but we made it to the other side. Somehow, we made it over a rocky river bank. At this point, I was sweating more than I usually do after an intense game of padel.
More hills filled with different obstacles followed but ,by then I had come into my own, so tricky terrain no longer phased me.
The experience was not just an off-roader’s paradise, or for fans of the brand, but a real thrill-seeking adventure.
However, it does come at a price. The 90-minute taster off-road experience, which I did, costs R1 520. You can also do a half-day course, which starts at R2 980, and a full day off-road advanced course that starts at R4 050.
It’s not the cheapest but, if you’ve always wanted to step into one of these vehicles and fear that you might never own one, the R1 520 is definitely worth it, especially because you get to experience it in the correct manner.
Opposition parties have dismissed Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s State of the Province address (Sopa) as lacking substance, accusing him of making grand promises without clear implementation strategies.
Democratic Alliance (DA) provincial leader Solly Msimanga said Lesufi’s address was full of “hot air,” failing to provide concrete plans to combat crime and improve services in the country’s economic capital.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) provincial leader Nkululeko Dunga said Lesufi’s address was another exercise in empty rhetoric.
“This recurring pattern of unfulfilled commitments continues to undermine the trust and aspirations of the people of Gauteng,” he said, adding that the province remains plagued by electricity shortages, water crises, unemployment and insecurity.
This comes after Lesufi laid out 13 key issues his administration must urgently address, ranging from water shortages to crime and lawlessness.
Speaking in Pretoria on Monday, he said that tackling these issues was essential for the provincial government’s relevance.
“Whatever we do and whatever we say, if we don’t resolve these problems, being here will mean nothing,” Lesufi said.
His list of problems to be resolved also included load-shedding, deteriorating infrastructure, service delivery failures at hospitals and clinics, the rapid growth of informal settlements and rising unemployment.
Regarding the ongoing water crisis, Lesufi apologised to residents and announced a collaboration with municipalities and the department of water and sanitation.
He said City Power would assume control of electricity supply at the Eikenhof pump station, while Eskom would take charge of the Emfuleni pump station to stabilise operations.
“We are at an advanced stage of repairing leaks and replacing ageing pipes. Since this intervention, water is gradually coming back to our homes,” he said.
But Msimanga said City Power was incapable of managing its own affairs.
“The decision to hand over control to City Power is not only unwise but also highlights a lack of ideas on how to address Gauteng’s challenges.
“If Lesufi truly understood the issues, he would know that City Power is already struggling to manage its own operations and cannot afford to take on additional responsibilities. This is the same utility that recently had to seek the energy minister’s intervention to resolve its billing dispute with Eskom,” he said.
On cable theft and vandalism, Lesufi reported that authorities had shut down 1 079 non-compliant scrap yards, 593 illegal spare shops and 149 unlicensed tyre shops. Additionally, 716 owners and operators had been arrested and prosecuted.
“We’ve resolved to install tech logs that will alert us instantly when our network is tampered with, and a 24-hour response team will always be on standby,” he said.
A budget had also been set aside for a team to immediately repair or replace malfunctioning traffic lights.
Crime prevention
Lesufi said crime prevention remains a priority for the provincial government and intelligence efforts had identified 442 criminal kingpins responsible for crimes such as cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, hijackings, contract killings, ATM bombings and business robberies.
The province has also moved aggressively against illegal land occupation, demolishing more than 6 600 newly erected shacks and obtaining a standing court order to evict what he termed “mkhukhu mafias”.
But Dunga rejected this plan. “This is an act of state-sponsored violence against the poor, who have demonstrated their willingness and ability to provide shelter for themselves when given the opportunity.”
On energy security, Lesufi said the provincial government was committed to expanding generation capacity, promoting renewable energy and protecting critical infrastructure.
“We have done what no other province has done by investing over R1.2 billion in energy infrastructure, directly impacting over 43 400 households and reducing the burden of load-shedding,” he said.
Gauteng has partnered with City Power and the Anergi Group’s Kelvin power station near OR Tambo airport, which has already added 180 megawatts to the Johannesburg grid, with plans to expand its capacity to 600MW.
Other projects include an 800MW solar farm in Merafong in the West Rand and the revitalisation of the John Ware power station in the Johannesburg suburb of Fordsburg to generate 200MW.
The EFF said this was a reckless move that highlights the government’s lack of vision in addressing the crisis.
Dunga said these entities have already failed to provide a stable electricity supply and cannot be relied upon to power critical infrastructure.
Instead of deepening dependence on struggling institutions, he urged the provincial government to invest in alternative energy sources to remove Gauteng’s water infrastructure from the national grid.
On job creation, Lesufi announced plans to generate 271150 permanent jobs and 561000 employment opportunities under both public and private initiatives.
Key projects include:
- The second phase of the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone, expected to inject R6.1 billion into the economy and create 4000 construction jobs and 2150 permanent positions.
- A R220 billion infrastructure pipeline set to create 34000 construction jobs and 17000 post-construction.
- The expansion of Lanseria International Airport, which is projected to attract R3 billion in investment and generate 3000 jobs for residents of Diepsloot and surrounding areas.
- The Gautrain expansion, anticipated to create 125000 jobs.
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