Welcome to just off the highway

The YouTube channel telling stories of Culture, Heritage, Travel & More. (Everything from fossil footprints, Africanis dogs and Cosmos flowers to slap chips and beyond.)

Hi! I’m Al Prodgers and “Just Off the Highway” is a record of my wanderings around Southern Africa, looking for offbeat stories of unusual people, neglected places and forgotten history.

I’ve created a YouTube channel where I regularly post easy (5-15 minute) documentary-style episodes. There is no particular order, I dig into whatever takes my fancy, and my only agenda is to make a space where these tales can reach far and wide. Because, if there’s one thing I’ve discovered, it’s that some stories really do want to be told.

More about just off the highway

Introduction Video

Why just off the highway?

Let’s go for a drive to rediscover the ordinary. Reconnect with the landscape. See people with fresh eyes. Let’s get curious and swap stories. Make our own memories. Find a place to stand and a meaning beyond. Let’s find the echoes of what we’ve lost and cherish what still exists. Let’s go for a drive…

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Comments

As a child in England in the early 50s, I read a story of a flying boat journey from London to South Africa. I recall even now the thrill and romance I felt of the adventure, the luxury and exotic experiences of the passengers. Maybe it was that memory which kind of subconsciously stayed with me years later when I and my wife took our two young boys on a 747 to Jan Smuts airport in Jo’burg, where we lived for nearly 12 amazing years. Now, nearly 50 years later, I am back in SA for a while – so many changes from those exciting days, but the lure of Africa never really leaves one, once it is embedded in your heart.

@johntaplin3126

Support The Channel

Just off the highway keyring free with every purchase!

A little something extra for the road! With every purchase, you’ll receive a Just Off the Highway keyring—perfect for keeping your keys together while reminding you to embrace the journey. A simple yet meaningful token for those who love the open road.

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Behind the scenes

"THE GHOST OF DE DEUR" episode 54

I switch off the Corona’s engine and kill the lights. The legend of the headless biker of De Deur demands a moonless night, so it’s almost completely dark.

Corné, the videographer is fiddling with the settings on his camera. He’s switched to low- light mode (infra-red) and he has to clamber into the back seat where he perches on top of a tripod, drone and various sharp and uncomfortable bits of gear, trying to create some distance between me and the lens, so he can focus. The image is either non-existent or totally washed out when it catches a passing car’s headlights.