Some of the route will take the 24-year-old through areas strewn with landmines, so he has decided to raise money for the Mines Advisory Group along the way.

Mr Mounfield, whose degree is in business administration, sets off on Saturday from Europe's most northerly point, Nordkapp, in Norway.

He plans to arrive in Cape Town a year later.

Mr Mounfield said: "I am quite nervous now but looking forward to it as well. I guess being nervous is about facing the unknown.

"It is still cold in Norway so I hope the equipment holds together. I am quite a keen cyclist but have only done from Land's End to John O'Groats before so this is a bit of a step up."

The journey will take Mr Mounfield through Europe, the Middle East, and across the Sahara desert before heading down the east coast of Africa.

"I think it will take me about a year," he said. "When I thought about cycling through Africa I read that there were a lot of mines in some countries along the sides of the roads. I was worried about my safety and that of the people who lived there so I thought I would raise money for the Mines Advisory Group."

The Mines Advisory Group clears landmines across the globe and Mr Mounfield is aiming to raise £50,000 for the charity.

His family and friends have already pledged £830.

Sponsor him at www.kapp2cape. com, with the website also following his progress.