Why did David Livingstone travel north from Kuruman into the Kalahari?

David Livingstone traveled north from Kuruman into the Kalahari region to seek out new populations for conversion to Christianity.1

He believed that these northern areas contained more numerous populations, which aligned with his missionary strategy of spreading the Gospel through the use of "native agents". This pursuit was encouraged by his father-in-law, Robert Moffat, who directed him toward the region north of the desert. Livingstone’s commitment to this mission led him to push further into the difficult terrain than any other European by the summer of 1842, where he worked to familiarize himself with the local cultures and languages.12