Written by: André Viljoen
Article source: JOY! Magazine
Three months ago, we featured Reini Coetzee, who set out from Signal Hill on a 10 000-km journey, wheeling a wooden cross from Cape Town to Jerusalem. His mission: to bring hope, peace, and the love of Christ to Africa through the power of the cross – one footstep at a time. Reini planned to walk alone, trusting God to open the right doors along the way. Now, he’s received unexpected company and encouragement on the road – and the journey is unfolding in ways only God could orchestrate.
Reini Coetzee is no longer alone on his 10 000-km trek from Cape Town to Jerusalem. Sivenkosi Njoli, who previously walked nearly 2000 km with Reini during a cross walk from Cape Town to Musina in 2020, has rejoined him on the road. Initially planning to accompany Reini only as far as the Zimbab-wean border, Sivenkosi has since decided to stay with him all the way to Israel, God willing.
Meeting up near Bloemfontein
The pair linked up near Colesburg, shortly before reaching the one-tenth mark of their journey. Speaking from Edenburg, around 80 km south of Bloemfontein, they shared how God has been guiding, strengthening, and connecting them as they walk and pray across Africa. Although Reini expected to complete the mission alone, he said he is grateful to God for Sivenkosi’s companionship and the help with wheeling the cross. “We know each other, we work together, and we pray together,” he said. Other than a bruised shoulder from pushing the cross and enduring icy conditions, Reini said he remains fit and focused.
Crossing paths with fellow walkers
Along the way, they encountered Siyanda Dlamini – known as the peace walker – and his team, who are also travelling across parts of Africa to declare God’s blessing over the continent. Reini said he has been moved by the kindness and support of people along the route. Motorists often stop to talk, request prayer, or film a short video with him and the cross. One of these roadside moments was shared on TikTok and has already reached more than a million views. His loudest supporters, he added with a smile, are truck drivers. “They hoot, sometimes throw a bottle of water out the window, and some even stop.”
Following God’s timing
Sivenkosi explained that he had not been ready to join the walk from the start, but he sensed the Lord prompting him to step out in obedience and reunite with Reini. As they walk, he has been praying for his parents and siblings. His father, a retired correctional services officer, has started a farming initiative, and his mother, though facing health struggles, continues her work as a teacher and remains active in mission outreach.
A vision for upliftment
Sivenkosi said his dream is to empower people in his community and beyond with entrepreneurial skills so that they can live with dignity. “Then we can tell them about God while their stomachs are full,” he said.
This article is featured in the August issue of JOY! Magazine. Read a digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 25/07/2025
Feature image: Reini Coetzee
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You need to check your facts. Jerusalem is in Palestine. Israel was a person, not a place. I expected you to know your own Holy Book, but I guess I’m probably assuming you’re more intelligent
Dear Abu,
Thank you for your comment. We understand this is a complex and sensitive subject. Historically, the land was never an independent Palestinian nation. After World War I it was under British control, and in 1947 the United Nations voted to divide it into Jewish and Arab states. Israel was established in 1948, while the Arab leadership rejected the arrangement.
The name “Palestine” itself comes from the Romans, who renamed the region in the 2nd century AD. It referred to a territory, not a nation with its own president or government (nor a people group). For many centuries, people living in that area – whether Arab or Jewish – were simply called Palestinians. Even the Jewish newspaper was called the Palestine Post.
You may find this article helpful for more background: https://joynews.co.za/10-facts-about-palestine.
Kind regards,
JOY! News Team