All eyes on SA Safari Rally from May 18 to 24
All eyes on SA Safari Rally from May 18 to 24
SA will make motorsport history when the country hosts round three of the SA Safari Rally from May 18 to 24.
The event is part of the prestigious World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).
The inaugural event, presented by event partner Toyota Gazoo Racing, is no ordinary event. It's a global spotlight moment – and SA is ready to shine.
'This is a defining moment for motorsport in SA,' said Vic Maharaj, the CEO of Motorsport South Africa.
ALSO READ: Saint Stithians' Saints SportsFest closes with a bang
'It's about more than racing. It's about showcasing our talent, terrain and ability to deliver world-class events.
'With SA-manufactured cars making up more than half of the field, a testament to our engineering excellence and deep motorsport roots, having the event on our home ground for the first time is exciting. We believe this could open doors to even bigger opportunities, including F1, in the future.'
Anton Roux, the chairperson of Motorsport South Africa, concurred, 'This event has the potential to pave the way for many more international motorsport events in SA. It is most probably the largest international event SA has hosted since the last Formula 1 was held at Kyalami in 1993.'
'With entries closing at the end of April, the lineup of top local and international participants is growing, and fans can expect to see some of the biggest names in international rally-raid on local soil,' said Archie Rutherford, the CEO of SA Rally Raid Championship.
ALSO READ: Saint Stithians' Saints SportsFest closes with a bang
Exciting news for South Africans is the inclusion of Ross Branch, Botswana's homegrown FIM W2RC champion and fan favourite 'Kalahari Ferrari', riding with Hero Motorsports.
Dakar Rally legend Giniel de Villiers will come out of retirement to be part of #TeamHiluxRallyRaid for the next two seasons.
'Having Giniel on board is like adding a turbocharger to our team. He brings unmatched experience and passion to the track,' said teammate Fouché Blignaut.
Nasser Al-Attiyah and Edouard Boulanger are expected to be part of the event. But Al-Attiyah will face some stiff local competition. Bracing up are the young guns from Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, Saood Variawa and Guy Botterill, Neil Woolridge, Motorsport's (Neil Woolridge Motorsport) Gareth Woolridge and 2023 SA Rally Raid Champion and Century Racing's Brian Baragwanath.
From Sun City to the desert dunes, the W2RC route will test the best of the best in a uniquely African setting.
'This is the moment we've worked so hard for. The world is watching – and we're almost ready,' concluded Rutherford.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Proteas Kagiso Rabada to unleash the beast against Australia, predicts Geoffrey Toyana
UNLEASH THE BEAST Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada (pictured) is expected to deliver a strong performance against Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's, with Geoffrey Toyana predicting the fast bowler will thrive under sledging BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix There will be no concerns about Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada not being at his best against Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final starting at Lord's on Wednesday, according to Geoffrey Toyana. First ball is at 11.30am SA time. Rabada spent his formative years at the Lions, where Toyana was a key figure in identifying the future talent who would later become the leader of the Proteas attack. Rabada, 30, was at the centre of a controversy the last couple of months, after he announced at the end of April he had tested positive for a banned recreational drug. The drug was later confirmed to be cocaine. By the time Rabada made the announcement, he had just about completed his one-month ban and swiftly returned to action for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Rabada's Sledging Showdown: A Key Battle in the WTC Final Against Australia Now, as Rabada turns his attention to the WTC final, he will no doubt be one of the main targets for the Aussies to sledge. 'When it comes to KG, he is a massive player, wherever he plays around the world,' Toyana told IOL Sport in an exclusive interview. 'He's a big player for South Africa. He's gone to the media as well to dare Australia to like bring it on. Sledging KG, you're just going to bring out the best in him. He knows that he's made a mistake and we all make mistakes as people as well. 'So KG will have that sledging and he'll come hard at the Aussies. Like he always does. When KG plays against Australia, he just becomes a different beast. And I expect to see the same again from him. I'm looking forward to it, I can't wait.' Weather Forecast and Toss Strategy for Day One at Lord's The initial weather forecast is for warm but cloudy conditions on day one, which could be good for bowling first. Bowling first, however, would be a big call for skipper Temba Bavuma to make. 'The toss at Lord's, I think, is that ground where, like you look up, then down because the wicket is always good at Lord's,' said Toyana. 'But I think the conditions, if it's cloudy and overcast, the ball will swing. 'I expect if Temba wins the toss to bowl those conditions. But if the weather is good and it's sunny, you can still bat there. It's a very, very good wicket.'
The South African
2 days ago
- The South African
What time is kick off for the Bulls' URC final?
The Bulls will now travel to Ireland where they will line up against Leinster in the URC Grand Final next Saturday, 14 June, after the two top-ranked teams defeated the Sharks and Glasgow Warriors respectively in a gripping semi-final round on Saturday. The spectacle – the Bulls' third appearance in the final in four seasons – will play out at Croke Park in what will mark Leinster's first final since the 2020/21 season, with the match kicking off at 18:00 (SA time). The Bulls showed nerves of steel in a nail-biting SA derby against the Sharks to register a 25-13 victory at Loftus Versfeld, despite receiving three yellow cards in the first half. The battle in Pretoria, in front of a near capacity crowd of 47,214 fans, was epic as both sides threw everything at one another, although the main difference between the teams was the Bulls' ability to convert most of their chances into points, while their defence was also very good. In stark contrast, the Sharks were again their own worst enemies as they botched several point-scoring chances close to the tryline, conceded penalties at crucial times, and missed four out of their five kicks at goal. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Springbok Women dominate Uganda in 2025 Rugby Africa Women's Cup opener
Patience Mokone of the Bulls Daisies scored a brace on debut for SA in the Rugby Africa Women's Cup opener against Uganda in Madagascar. The Springbok Women got their 2025 Rugby Africa Women's Cup opener against Uganda in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on Saturday off to a flyer with a comprehensive 62-7 victory over the Lady Cranes that featured several try-scoring debuts. Lock Anathi Qolo captained the South African side that boasted a combined 174 caps. And despite being expected to dominate the scrum with their powerful pack, the Ugandans more than held their own in that aspect of play. The swirling wind made line-out throw-ins and clearance kicks difficult for both teams, though. The power of the SA pack was soon on display in the loose, however. Prop Xoliswa Khuzwayo and flank Lerato Makua were prominent, with strong, tackle-busting runs in midfield as the Bok Women kept the ball tight in the early exchanges. It was a tactic that seemed to catch the Lady Cranes off guard as they scrambled on defence in the face of mismatches. Qolo marked her debut as skipper with a fine opening try that was the result of sustained pressure on the Uganda tryline and quick ball through the hands, dotting down under the posts. Springbok Women's flyhalf Mary Zulu added the conversion (7-0). Uganda were struggling to cope with the rush defence from the Springboks, who dominated the battle for territory and possession, as expected. Bok Women's fullback Byrhandrѐ Dolf was growing in influence as the half wore on. She showed great hands to set up winger Simamkhele Namba on the right wing to score in the corner (12-0). Zulu missed the conversion. The Lady Cranes were forced increasingly onto the back foot. No 8 Faith Tshauke also opened her account on debut after a rolling maul off a line-out was briefly repelled by Uganda. Uganda showed the intent to give the ball air on occasion, finding room out wide. But the Boks were in uncompromising mood on defence as they snuffed out any potential danger. The Boks showed slick hands of their own, with the ball eventually ending up in Dolf's hands as they attacked at pace. The skillful fullback sidestepped a few tackles before making the score 22-0. Zulu landed the conversion this time, to extend the lead (24-0).
