HER family thought Jolandie Rust was insane when she told them two years ago she wanted to travel the African continent on a bicycle.

Rust, 25, of Johannesburg, said she was now on the road to becoming the first woman to travel solo around South Africa and Africa on a bicycle.

Carrying a small sports bag with only three sets of cycling gear, a pair of jeans and a cellphone, Rust arrived in Nelson Mandela Bay on Tuesday evening after cycling down from Johannesburg.

“I planned the trip about two years ago after my fiancee died. Before he committed suicide, we cycled through Israel together,” she said. His death made me think about the direction of my life. I realised how important it was to fulfil my dreams and to keep thinking positively.”

Rust’s trip around South Africa is to raise awareness of her journey around Africa next year. She left Johannesburg on October 2.

“I’m not scared at all – 99% of the time on the road, I meet people who are friendly. So far, I haven’t had any problems at all. Most towns have sponsored me with accommodation and food at night.”

She has 4000km to go before she ends her South African bicycle tour in two months’ time.

She plans to stop at places like Jeffreys Bay, Storms River and Knysna before heading to Cape Town.

She will start her tour around Africa in the middle of next year, covering 34 countries in two years.

“My family thought I was crazy at first, but after seeing that I really wanted this, they decided to support me,” she said.