Trading the comfort of the boardroom for the punishing extremes of the continent, entrepreneur and CEO Keith Boyd ran 11,000km from Cape Town to Cairo, not just to secure a Guinness World Record (which he did), but to ignite a flame of active citizenship in South Africa’s youth.
Cape Town, South Africa (19 November 2025) – There are causes that resonate with us so much that we’re more than willing to go the extra mile for. Entrepreneur, CEO, and social impact investor Keith Boyd endured several gruelling miles – 11,000km to be exact – to champion youth empowerment and active citizenship.
Last year, he undertook the bold challenge of running from Cape Town to Cairo in only 301 days, completing his journey on May 22, 2024.
His feat not only secured him an impressive Guinness World Record but also supported RainbowLeaders, a foundation which encourages young South Africans to register for voting, choose responsible leaders, and learn how to hold them accountable.
Keith’s extraordinary awareness campaign highlights the critical link between poor leadership, poverty, and low youth voter participation.
“Poverty is overwhelmingly a country-specific problem,” says Keith.
“Its greatest contributor is poor leadership, which leads to a trust deficit, deterring investment and slowing economic growth. Educating and motivating young people to vote is key to changing that.”
Keith’s core message and first-hand experiences of running across nine African countries have now been captured in the pages of his recently published memoir, Running Africa.
Running Africa captures Africa’s diverse landscapes, cultures, and challenges through the eyes of a determined runner on a mission to inspire civic responsibility and social change. The non-fiction work intertwines a story of personal resilience and discovery with a call to action for Africa’s next generation.
The book is published by RainbowLeaders, the youth pro-democracy foundation founded by Keith and is so much more than a sports memoir; it’s a candid look at the challenges and complexities of Africa.
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Every copy sold directly supports Rainbow Leaders, empowering young Africans to take action by voting, electing great leaders, and then holding them accountable – because more citizens need to make their mark for real change to happen.
Sources: RainbowLeaders
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