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Emmanuel Koro

It’s a dream come true for the adventure and thrill-seeking 10-year-old Durban twins, Lily and Lara Vincent, of The Adventures of The Twins In Africa.

They have embarked on their first-ever television storytelling project about Africa’s spectacular wilderness and phenomenal cultural beauty. Lily and Lala arrived in Windhoek Namibia, about a week ago and proceeded to the country’s much-sought-after wilderness destinations.

They have already experienced the rich culture of the indigenous communties such as the Nama, Ochiwambo and Umbukushu, where women dress up in grass-reed skirts topless and wearing ethnic beaded necklaces. This rich culture which has been preserved over the centuries sharply contrasts with the modern trendy fashionistas much to the amusement of the twins.

Lily and Lara have discovered a totally different world and experiences in Namibia. For them, the quick switch from riding on a bicycle on a tarmac in a noisy urban environment to riding on a camel’s back on the golden desert sands has been adrenalin-kicking. What an experience! They also enjoyed exploring the stunning sandy golden dunes in Swakopmund.

“The birdlife in Namibia was awesome and we spotted and watched bright yellow and blue parrots in their natural settings,” said Lily and Lara. “Another place that brought much excitement to us was the Skeleton Coast known of where we also saw a lot of seals.”

The hauntingly beautiful Swakopmund is famous for its whale bones and ship wrecks strewn along the coast. A ghastly experience indeed.

Though unplanned and unwanted, a car breakdown can punctuate the girls’ adventures with unanticipated side activities. When their vehicle broke down in Swakopmund, the girls managed to go on a small precious and semi-precious stones exploration adventure, using a detector.

The escape from the Durban city life to wilderness life has been an interesting and mesmerising experience for the 10-year-old twins.

“We have been removed from our comfort zone,” said Lily and Lara. “We no longer stay in our urban brickhouse but now live in a house on wheels, a tent, which is called the Invader.”

Life in the wild has taught them to always be vigilant of their surroundings and always be fully equipped. They have learnt to among other things, carry a back pack which has all their essential supplies such as water, mosquito repellents and sunscreen.

As they continue with their African wilderness and culture television storytelling adventure that has so far taken them from Durban, Windhoek Swakopmund, Fish River Canyon and Mahango Game Reserve, Lily and Lara said there are many exciting things to share with their future television viewers. They are yet to explore and discover the hidden treasures of other paradise destinations in Africa such as Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

What else is in store in Namibia for the adventurous twins besides the exhilarating encounter with meerkats and the never-to-forget experience in the country’s vast and striking salt pans. It seems there are still a few more weeks of adventure in Namibia for the twins who are yet to tell us about their inevitable future encounters with the unmissable gems such as the desert elephants, big cats, lions, leopards and cheetahs. Of course, they shall also see the African rhinos, elephants, zebras and oryxes.

Their cultural experience shall possibly include meeting and interacting with the Himba people, an anciet tribe living in the north-west region of Namibia. This tribe’s tourism attraction and value is increasingly becoming comparable with that of the Masaai people of Kenya. The hidden stories of the African colourful, rich and diverse culture mixed with its beautiful wilderness will be told by these 10-year-olds in a future televised programme.

It’s a story like no other that awaits television viewers worldwide from these young twins, that is going to bring the phenomenal beautiful African culture and wilderness in our living rooms. Only time will tell and we cannot wait to hear more from the intelligent girls themselves.

Emmanuel Koro is a Johannesburg-based international award-winning environmental journalist who has written extensively on environment and development issues in Africa.