The trip sounds fun, I've ridden the other way from Europe (including Norway) to Cape Town on a motorbike.
What route from South Africa to Europe are you planning?
This is the route I took.
Attachment 149653
My advice like others have said, travel light, carry spares but not too much.
I met a guy in a defender and we travelled together thru Zaire, he had so many spares that he ended up snapping several axxles, 2 coil springs and many other issues. Its pretty extreme 4x4 going through Congo. Malawi has the most potholes I have ever seen and the corrugations in North Kenya are horrendous (I snapped my motorbike frame there).
Another suggestions is to get a lot of your vehicle work done in South Africa, it will be a LOT cheaper than Aus, they know what they are doing too, and the cost of living is low.
You'll have a memory of your life.
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