SA Teenagers Build Their Own Plane

A group of teenagers has built an aeroplane in South Africa.

The 20 teenagers, from various backgrounds and across South Africa, plan to travel in their four-seater aircraft from Cape Town to Cairo in June.

They plan to cover over 10,000 km (6,213 miles) flying through Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea before they reach Egypt.

The operation is part of a programme called U-Dream Global, an aviation outreach initiative that aims to inspire young South Africans.

Agnes Seemela, one of the teenagers building and flying the aircraft, spoke to the BBC's Newsday about the experience. She was involved in building the wings of the plane and the horizontal and vertical stabilizer.

"I'm like a kid in a candy store. The plane takes off on the 15th June in Cape Town."

Like most teenagers, Agnes had no previous experience in aviation.

"I learnt it all during this amazing journey," she told Newsday.