Swiss graduate swaps robotics for a bike across African

He had a robotics degree, a future in Switzerland and every reason to follow the usual career path. Instead, 27-year-old Yannic Hofmann chose a bicycle and the long road across Africa.

Hofmann, has embarked on an ambitious bicycle journey across Africa, saying he wants to explore the continent, understand its people and cultures, and gain a clearer perspective of life.

Hofmann, who comes from a small village in Switzerland, recently completed his degree in Robotics at ETH Zürich.

However, instead of immediately starting work in his field, he decided to put his career on hold and travel across Africa, saying he wanted to experience the continent for himself rather than rely on the many stories and perceptions he had heard about it.

Hofmann said he had very few expectations when he began the journey because people back home had told him many stories about Africa. “When I was making plans to start this journey, people at home were telling me a lot of stories. I had zero expectations. Of course, here I feel safer than when I was in Paris,” he said.

Hofmann at Mulanje Mountain in Malawi

Speaking to Malawi24, Hofmann said he started his journey about five-and-a-half months ago in Kenya and has since travelled through Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania before arriving in Malawi.

He said his journey is focused on exploring African people, culture, landscapes and lifestyles.

According to Hofmann, travelling by bicycle has allowed him to experience communities at a personal level and interact with people in a way that would be difficult through conventional tourism.

Hofmann travels alone and carries most of the equipment he needs on his bicycle, including a tent, cooking stove, GPS and a water filtration system. When night falls, he said he usually approaches people in nearby villages and asks for a place where he can set up his tent and spend the night.

The young traveller said he has also adapted to the local way of life during his journey by eating local food and drinking water which he filters using special equipment carried on his bicycle.

Beyond the landscapes and cultures he has encountered, Hofmann said the people he has met have given him some of the most valuable lessons of his journey.

He described African people as kind, genuine and welcoming, saying he has learnt that many people live according to their character and values rather than what they possess.

“People here don’t have a lot of money or material possessions, but they are so rich in terms of human aspects and helping each other,” Hofmann said, describing the spirit of generosity and community he has witnessed during his travels.

For Hofmann, the experience has become more than simply an adventure across Africa. He said living simply, travelling long distances by bicycle and interacting closely with local communities has given him an opportunity to reflect on his own life and the things that truly matter.

From Malawi, Hofmann said he plans to continue his bicycle journey southwards, with Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana among his next destinations as he continues exploring Africa and learning from the people and communities he encounters along the way.