- Changan Hunter joins Seven7 Drive support fleet.
- Drive started on Heritage Day, 24 September.
- Over 200 children across eight hospitals.
- 5000km route through seven provinces.
- 110 kW and 350 N.m turbodiesel.
Jameel Motors, the distributor of Changan in South Africa, contributed a Changan F70 Hunter 2.0 4WD Auto diesel double-cab to the support fleet of the 2026 Seven7 Drive for Kids with Cancer. The drive set off on Heritage Day, 24 September 2026, to deliver gifts and supplies to over 200 children in eight hospitals.
Founded in 2015, Seven7 Drive aims to bring hope to children living with cancer and to raise awareness of the illness in the hope of earlier detection. This year the route covered more than 5000km across seven provinces during the final week of September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Seven7 Drive route across seven provinces
Starting at Steve Biko Hospital in Pretoria, the convoy headed north through Polokwane and Thabazimbi in Limpopo, then south via Kimberley to Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, the halfway mark. The return leg ran via Kareedouw, Bloemfontein and Swartberg to finish at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg. Road surfaces ranged from highways to farm tracks, gravel and dirt, with road closures forcing detours onto slippery gravel around Loxton.
Danie Botha, a founding member of Seven7 Drive, said: “It is hard to believe we used to do this in two-wheel-drive vehicles, but as we’ve learned over the years, the weather can be really unkind.” Along the way the team met Nita van der Berg, a young cancer survivor from Bloemfontein, and Bobby Were, an advocate for the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA).
Changan Hunter specification on the trip
Power comes from a turbodiesel producing 110 kW and 350 N.m. The bakkie has 226 mm of ground clearance, a rear differential lock and approach and departure angles of 28 and 27 degrees. The diff lock was used on clay and dirt on Bakkers Pass between Polokwane and Thabazimbi, and on Naudé’s Nek Pass linking Rhodes Village to Vrederus in the Eastern Cape. Its 1000 kg maximum payload carried crew, gear and gifts of blankets, beanies, socks and snacks.
On days of around 800km, the cabin offered electric leather seats, cruise control, a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen and several charging points, including a 12V socket in the load bed. Safety equipment includes curtain airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, stability and traction control, and hill-hold and hill-descent control.
Jameel Motors on the 2026 drive
Marinus Venter, Country Manager at Jameel Motors South Africa, said the company was pleased to provide “a vehicle that could go the full distance and carry all their essentials”, adding that connecting communities and making a positive impact are both invaluable to Changan.
Supplied by MotorPress (Neo Tlaka, Communications Manager, Changan South Africa)
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