It all started here

So yes, we met in a sports bar—JUST KICKING—in Kampala, Uganda.

Even then, I think we suspected that the road to happiness was dotted with wild, loyal and sometimes quirky characters who shared our desire to work hard, live harder and laugh the loudest.

And yes, we drove a Land Rover back then. They really are standard issue for many expats across the African continent. Despite Rovers' reputation for being somewhat unreliable and finicky, there is no shortage of mechanics and spare parts no matter where you go in Africa, which make Land Rover Defenders both a practical and stylish mode of transportation.

And did we mention safety? With the design based on the shape of a brick, they are as tough as they come.

Fast-forward a few years after our Ugandan chapter and we found ourselves in South Africa alongside another motley, but wonderful crew of friends old and new that included East’s childhood best friend, Big G and his future wife, Taryn.

Shortly after settling in a suburb of Johannesburg, reality banged on our door in the form of cancer and heart disease (my parents didn’t have a stellar health record in 2006), so off we went to the USA where East eventually scored a job as GM of Land Rover Richmond. Yes, it was awesome except for the 6-day a week schedule and the Great Recession…

But there really were bright spots. Those years made us parents. East learned a ton about running a small business in tough times and the value of working with people you trust.

Fast forward again to May 2020 and we finally launched LEKKER with Big G who had returned from Namibia with Taryn and their young son. The first three vehicles had been purchased in 2016, but LEKKER’s real jumpstart coincided with the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020.