Offroad season heads to a climax

Just three points separate log leaders Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (Ford Castrol Ranger) from the Toyota Hilux pairing of Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings as the South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) heads into the penultimate round, the Renergen 400 in Welkom this weekend.

The chase for the title in the 2023 championships is tight and the leaders are just five points up on Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy (Toyota Hilux) in the Production Vehicle category. However, in the T1+ class standings, Gareth and Boyd are placed second, three points behind Lategan/Cummings.

Accordingly, it’s all to play for when the crews tackle Round 6 of the series, which will be based at the Phakisa Raceway circuit just outside Welkom.

The second NWM Ford Castrol pairing of Lance Woolridge and Kenny Gilbert (#234) are fifth in the overall Production Vehicle and T1+ standings. The duo are aiming for a strong result as they continue their first season together, having shown impressive pace throughout the year.

“As expected, this year’s SA Rally-Raid Championship is extremely close, and it’s going to be a thrilling fight to the end of the season,” says Neil Woolridge, NWM team principal. “Gareth and Boyd have scored four podiums out of five races thus far, including the overall victory at the Botswana Desert Race, with Lance and Kenny coming home second.

“We have made numerous changes and upgrades to our T1+ Ranger during the season, and the results have proven that we have a very competitive car. We will be giving it everything to ensure that the fight for this year’s championship goes right down to the wire,” Neil says.

The NWM-supported privateer team of Wors Prinsloo and Andre Vermeulen (#241) have achieved several top 10 finishes this year in their T1+ Ranger. They are 11th in the T1+ standings and have their sights set on moving up a couple of places in the class championship.

Race programme

According to the SARRC race organisers, the Renergen 400 will feature the Super Event format, comprising a short Pirelli Qualifying Race on Friday, 6 October followed by an opening race loop on the same day, then two further loops on Saturday 7 October.

With the event based at the Phakisa Raceway, the prologue starts at 10:15 and adds a unique twist by incorporating half of the race track before exiting and heading onto more familiar off-road terrain towards Odendaalsrus.

This opening 15 km sprint will determine the starting order for Friday’s first 58 km race loop that sets off at 13:15. Friday’s results will determine the starting order for Saturday, which will see competitors completing two 164 km loops, kicking off at 08:00 and separated by a mandatory 30-minute service stop.

The action is expected to be fast and furious, with lots of open sections along mealie fields, along with mine dumps and some more tight and technical areas.

Fans can follow all the action and track the position of the crews throughout each of the 2023 season’s seven races using the RallySafe app, which can be downloaded free of charge for iOS and Android devices from the relevant app stores.

https://bit.ly/3PYY3nQ

Egypt licenses local electric car factory to start production by end of 2024 - Economy - Business

The Egyptian Cabinet agreed to grant the golden licence to private company EgyptSat Auto to build and operate a factory that will begin producing electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of 2024.


Source: Egypt licenses local electric car factory to start production by end of 2024 - Economy - Business
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Volvo Trucks FH turns 30

Volvo Trucks’ best selling unit ever – with more than 25 000 sold locally – the FH is 30 years old and looks set to move into the next 30 without slowing its pace.

Volvo FH is one of the industry's most successful models ever with nearly 1,4-million trucks sold, in around 80 markets all over the world and has been a favourite among truck drivers for many years, especially for those who spend a good portion of their lives on the road.

Customer-focused

“Volvo FH is the perfect representation of a customer-focused mindset and a model that has been pushing the boundaries globally for 30 years. In all crucial areas such as driver comfort, fuel efficiency, safety and productivity, we have never stopped improving this truck,” says Waldemar Christensen, MD of Volvo Trucks South Africa. “We are also very proud to have been assembling this range at our Durban plant since 2006.”

It was launched with a totally new chassis, using a design that facilitated flexible solutions for different transport applications. The driveline had a completely new 12-litre engine (16-litre for the Volvo FH16) and the all-new cab offered outstanding aerodynamics and driver comfort. 

Innovations

The innovations have continued through the years, always with the Volvo values of safety, quality and care for the environment as the starting point. Innovation milestones over the past three decades include the driver’s crash bag, the automated gearbox solution I-Shift and Volvo Dynamic Steering, which provides effortless steering and great manoeuvrability.

On the exterior design side, the rear-view mirrors with a unique slim design that gives better direct vision for the driver, and the V shaped headlamps, offering both improved visibility and comfort for the driver while giving the truck its distinctive appearance, are two examples of how Volvo technology and design are used to add valuable benefits for the driver.

Transformed

“The first-generation Volvo FH was a game changer that totally transformed the concept of a modern truck. Since then, we have continued to set new standards in trucking and launched five further generations of this truck,” says Christensen.

“We believe our success formula has been to make use of the very latest technology in a way that always adds clear benefits for our customers and drivers. As proof of our successful continuous improvement efforts and constant evolution, the Volvo FH is the only truck that has been selected ‘International Truck of the Year’ three times.”

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Elite motor sport series launched

Picture, if you can, a car accelerating from zero to 300 km/h in just a shade over nine seconds, propelled by 2 000 brake horsepower. That is just what the electric Lotus Evija can do and it is the centrepiece of a new motor sport initiative between a local and a Chinese consortium.  

The announcement, made a few hours ahead of the BRICS Summit, at Sandton Square, had founding members of the new Elite World Cup consortium – Tokyo Sexwale, Liu Yu and Stephen Watson in the spotlight.  

“The Elite World Cup is not just a racing competition,” says Sexwale, Co-founder of the Elite World Cup. “It is a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation and sustainability.”  

Stephen Watson, Co-founder of the Elite World Cup, says: “The Cup is called Elite for a reason as we will engage and invite experienced international racing car drivers that have competed across F1, Indy Car, NASCAR, WRC and the likes. We want the drivers and teams who have established themselves and represented their countries in various prestigious motorsport championships around the world.”  

Scheduled to start in September 2024, the race programme will run in the so-called ‘off season’ for all the other major championships and teams from around the world will compete in a series of 8-10 World Cup race weekends.  

The consortium is aiming to have 25 cars on the grid – all identical and prepared by the organisers and issued to the teams ahead of each race.   Watson says five countries have committed to the series – South Africa and China, naturally, and considering the launch even featured Emerson Fittipaldi speaking from Monterey in California, Brazil is also a likely player.

While Watson was not saying who the other countries are, he did acknowledge they were in conversation with Colombian ex-F1 driver, Juan Pablo Montoya. 

According to Yu, one asks three primary questions when it comes to the selection of electric hypercars: how big is its performance, how far is its range and how rapidly can you recharge?.

As a road car, the Lotus already holds fast to its reputation as a striking manifestation of elegance and raw power. With 2 000+ bhp (brake horsepower) and acceleration of 0 to 300 km/h in just over 9 seconds, it is as brutal as any car can be.  

As the motor sport industry embraces the transition to electric power, the Elite World Cup stands as a beacon of change. By fostering competition, collaboration, and breakthroughs in electric vehicle technology, this event will drive advancements that have far-reaching implications for the automotive industry and beyond.  

“We have run Team China in many prestigious racing championships since we first started racing internationally in 2004,” says Yu. “The automotive landscape has evolved significantly, and as the electric car industry is growing rapidly in China, we’re excited and proud to be at the forefront of this Elite revolution in sports,” says Yu.  

The Chinese connection goes even further considering its car giant, Geely, owns Lotus (as well as Volvo and Aston Martin).

https://bit.ly/3EbB2aE

Botterill wins as Toyota shines

Guy Botterill notched up his first win in the driver’s seat of a Toyota Hilux, crowning a spectacularly successful weekend for Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGRSA)as they took top honours in both Round 4 and Round 5 of the 2023 South African Rally-Raid Championships (SARRC), run in a double-header format, in Parys at the weekend.  

Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings drew first blood in Friday’s qualifying race. They set the early pace, besting Saood Variawa and Danie Stassen by 48 sec over the short qualifying route of 18 km.  

The race itself – Round 4 of the championship – saw Lategan/Cummings power to a largely uneventful victory, while Variawa/Stassen fell foul to a tricky water crossing that tripped them up, and excluded them from the final results.  

But teammates Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy made the most of the opportunity to move up into second place overall. They finished just 25 sec behind Lategan/Cummings, with the final Hilux pairing of Guy Botterill and stand-in co-driver, Zaheer Bodhanya, completing the podium.  

Saturday of the race weekend dawned crisp and cool, and Lategan/Cummings made the most of the conditions to win their second consecutive qualifying race. This time their lead was only 4 sec, over Class T1+ rookies, Fouché and Bertus Blignault, in a #TeamHilux T1+. Variawa/Stassen went 4th-fastest, with Botterill/Bodhanya setting the 5th-fastest time of the morning.  

De Villiers/Murphy suffered a puncture early in the qualifier, costing them a significant amount of time. As a result, they were only 13th-fastest in the session, but the main race offered new opportunities.  

As it turned out, Lategan/Cummings suffered a 5 min penalty when the transmission of their car required a sensor replacement shortly before the start of the race. They were forced to leave the service park behind schedule, and paid the price in the form of a penalty which largely precluded them from victory.  

At the same time, De Villiers/Murphy recorded their second 2nd-place finish in as many days, keeping themselves in with a shout in terms of the championship.

But the man of the moment was undeniably Botterill, partnered with Bodhanya for this event.   The pair recorded a largely clean run to clinch victory, albeit just 9 sec ahead of their teammates. A stunning maiden win for the man from KZN/Natal.  

As for Variawa/Stassen, they struggled with the GPS unit in their car; and lost further time when they suffered a puncture. The tyre was extremely hot, and they were forced to wait for it to cool down before continuing on their way.

Fifth place was the best they could muster in the circumstances, but the pair clearly had significant pace, and will certainly play a role in future events.  

For championship leaders Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (#277) it was a crucial opportunity to score maximum points in their Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) Ford Castrol T1+ Ranger. The opening 24 km qualifying sprint for Friday’s race set the scene for a thrilling duel as they posted the third-fastest time, with team-mates Lance Woolridge and Kenny Gilbert (#234) matching their time – with mere seconds separating the top crews.  

The main race, which comprised two loops of 173 km each, unfortunately didn’t go to plan, as a mechanical problem sidelined Lance and Kenny just 13 km into the opening stint. Gareth and Boyd were running as high as second place on the first lap until a rear CV joint failed, and they eventually had to stop to remove the driveshaft.

Having to contend with two-wheel drive only, they dropped back to seventh by the time they returned to the pits for the mandatory 30-minute service where the driveshaft was replaced.  

Gareth and Boyd were determined to recover lost time on the second loop, and they did just that, managing to fight their way up to fourth by the end of a tough and extremely fast race which saw all the teams regularly running on the regulated speed limiter of 170 km/h – with an astonishing average speed of just under 100 km/h for the entire loop which primarily comprised farmlands and some district roads.  

The NWM-supported privateer Ranger team of Wors Prinsloo and Andre Vermeulen (#241) was classified 11th in qualifying, but made up good ground during the race to ultimately finish seventh in T1+.  

The NWM technicians set about working on Lance’s car once it was returned to the pits to ensure it was ready for Round 5 of the SARRC on Saturday, which they only completed in the early hours of the morning in icy sub-zero temperatures.

Another short 18 km qualifying stage on an entirely new route for Saturday saw Gareth and Boyd set the third-fastest time, with Lance and Kenny back in action. They qualified ninth, matching the time set by Wors and Andre in the privateer T1+ Ranger.

However, the team found a sensor issue that couldn’t be resolved in the short time available, so they were down on power.   There was a thrilling battle at the front of the field throughout the main race which comprised two 170 km loops, as the top crews traded places on numerous occasions.

Gareth and Boyd pushed hard on the opening loop, but a damaged CV boot on the final lap meant they adopted a slightly more cautious pace for the remainder of the race to end third overall. This gave the young crew their fourth podium finish of the 2023 season.

Based on the provisional results, they look set to retain the lead of the overall Production Vehicle and class T1+ championships with two rounds remaining.  

https://bit.ly/3OBfYis

Ford confident ahead of Parys clash

A 1-2 finish in the 1 000 km Botswana Desert Race in June has given the Ford Castrol Team a new level of confidence going into the double-header Parys 400 on August 18 and August 18.  

As rounds four and five of the extremely competitive South African Rally Raid Championship (SARRC) Gareth Woolrige and Boyd Dreyer (#277) took their EcoBoost V6-powered T1+ NWM Ford Ranger to the top step of the podium at the three-day Botswana marathon race, and are looking forward to returning to the Free State event where they earned their first overall SARRC win last year.

Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer

The Desert Race victory handed the young pair the championship advantage, and they currently lead the Production Vehicle title chase with 86 points, 15 ahead of the Toyota crew of Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings, and a further three points ahead of third-placed Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy (Toyota).

Additional confidence comes after having competed at the Baja Spain Aragon in July. They finished a commendable 11th overall in their T1+ Ranger against the top rally raid competitors in the world.  

Two-time Dakar Rally winner Nani Roma and co-driver Alex Haro were classified 6th overall in the second T1+ Ranger, with this crucial outing forming part of the build-up to the 2024 Dakar Rally for the NWM, M-Sport and Ford Performance joint venture.  

NWM Ford Castrol teammates Lance Woolridge and Kenny Gilbert (#234) secured their first podium of the SARRC season by finishing as runners-up in Botswana. This gave them a solid points haul and placed them fifth in the Production Vehicle battle on 41 points – just 20 points behind the Toyota crew of Guy Botterill/Simon Vacy-Lyle.  

“All the hard work, intensive testing and long hours the team has put into the development of our T1+ Ranger have certainly paid off, and this sets the scene for a thrilling remainder of the 2023 season,” says team principal Neil Woolridge.  

“Having just come back from Spain where Gareth and Boyd finished 11th, and ran as high as second in one of the stages until they lost time near the end with a puncture, shows just how competitive we are this year, both locally and internationally. 

“Going into the Parys event leading the overall SARRC Production Vehicle and T1+ rankings is fantastic for the team, and the back-to-back races in Parys will be an important opportunity to continue building on this momentum. We have no doubt that our rivals will come out with all guns blazing, so we will be giving it everything for this event.”  

The NWM-supported privateer team of Wors Prinsloo and Andre Vermeulen (#241) are also eager to capitalise on the two races in Parys, having shown impressive pace in their first season with the T1+ Ranger.  

As two full one-day races, the action kicks off on Friday 18 August, with the race headquarters and designated service park (DSP) located at the Afridome Showgrounds on the outskirts of Parys.

Competitors will complete a 32 km qualifying sprint (including 8 km of liaison), starting at 07:30.  

The top 10 finishers then do a draw to determine starting positions for the main race. This is followed by the full race loop of 173 km which commences at 09:30 and is repeated twice, split by a mandatory 30-minute service interval.  

A separate route is lined up for the Saturday race which follows a similar format, including a 16 km qualifying race with 13 km of liaison. The main race loop comprises 190 km (with 20 km liaison), once again completed twice with a service stop in between.  

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Africa Automotive - The clock is ticking

As the clock counts down to the Intra Africa Trade Fair (IATF) taking place in Cairo, Egypt in November, the pace of African automotive development is picking up pace. . .rapidly.  

In new recent developments, Chinese automaker BYD – which recently launched in South Africa – announced its launch plans in Morocco in an alliance with Auto Nejma, a key player in automobile distribution in Morocco.  

Still in Morocco – The Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, and Frank Huber, Forvia Group’s Executive Vice-President of Seating, recently launched the construction of the group’s new production facility in Sale near Rabat.  

The new industrial plant, which will expand the Group's industrial activity in Morocco, will specialise in the cutting and production of textile and leather covers for automotiveseats, to meet the demand of numerous European automakers.  

The equipment manufacturer will invest $15,4-million in this industrial initiative, which will generate 1 400 new jobs.   

“This fourth Faurecia plant reinforces our positioning as a destination of choice for investment in the automotive sector. It is a clear sign of the confidence of renowned players in our industrial potential and assets,” Mezzour says, adding, “this project will bring an added value to the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region, reinforcing its position as a benchmark industrial hub in the automotive industry.” 

“We've been present in Morocco for nearly fifteen years, and we're delighted to open a new chapter in this country, where we already employ nearly 4 000 people, by expanding our plant in Sale,” Hubert stated.   “Morocco has seen significant growth in the automotive sector in recent years. We are delighted to be strengthening our position in this ecosystem today, and would also like to thank the local authorities for their support from the outset of this project,” he added.  

Since 2008, Faurecia, a Forvia Group company and the world's 7th largest automotive technology company has had three production facilities in Morocco: two in Kenitra and one in Sale.  

Algerian Trade and Export Promotion Minister, Tayeb Zitouni, recently announced China has agreed to build an automobile factory in Algeria and Yazaki, a Japanese car parts supplier, has signed an agreement with the Governor of Fayoum in Egypt to allocate land for a new factory that will be constructed by the company's local subsidiary using $33,27-million in investments. 

Although South Africa remains the largest automobile manufacturing country in Africa, the gap is narrowing and particularly in the establishment of investment in the supply chain sector.  

A quick snapshot of some of the activity around Africa shows:  

Ghana: Kantanka Automobile Company: Founded by Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, this indigenous automaker has been producing vehicles since the early 1990s. Kantanka’s production facilities in Ghana assemble a range of vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, pickups, and luxury cars. The company focuses on designing and manufacturing vehicles that cater to the specific needs of the African market.

Nigeria: Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM): Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), founded by Innocent Chukwuma, is a leading player in Nigeria’s automotive sector. IVM has established a modern production facility in the city of Nnewi, where it assembles a diverse range of vehicles, including cars, buses, and trucks.

Kenya: Mobius Motors: Mobius Motors, headquartered in Nairobi, is a notable example of Kenya’s commitment to producing vehicles that meet local transportation challenges. The company focuses on creating affordable and rugged vehicles designed for African road conditions and transportation needs. 

The African Automotive Show runs concurrently with IATF2023 from November 9 to November 15 and, based on figures from the last IATF, held in Durban, could generate more than R840-billion in trade deals.  

Besides the 1 600 exhibitors, 79 countries and 35 000 attendees that will be participating at the event, here are another nine reasons you need to register today.  

Automotive companies including commercial (bus and truck) and passenger vehicle manufacturers, assemblers, importers, component manufacturers, dealers, parts & accessories distributors, electric motorcycles and vehicles, infrastructural projects and agencies, other members of the value-chain, including mineral processing, logistic services providers and automotive development agencies will have an opportunity to showcase their products and also interact with potential buyers, suppliers and governments.

The Automotive Forum (conference), spearheaded by the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) addresses the most pertinent issues affecting Africa’s automotive growth. Highlights of the 3-day program include:

- Presentations from global automotive leaders, including multi-national OEMs

- Participation of several Heads of State

- An agenda that seeks to facilitate cooperation and the development of regional auto supply chains (trade between auto hubs) for auto manufacturing on the continent.

- Unprecedented networking with all of Africa’s key role-players and international partners.

A B2B and B2G platform: The platform will provide matchmaking and business exchange opportunities for vehicle manufacturers, vehicle assemblers, OEMs and component suppliers and other automotive industry service providers, leading to the conclusion of business and investment deals across various sectors.

This is supported by a dedicated African Buyers' Programme  Africa (excluding South Africa) currently accounts for only 0,5% of the global automotive market (600 000 units). Its motorisation rate is just 45 vehicles per 1 000 inhabitants - significantly below the global average of 203.   The exhibition will attract continental and global buyers and sellers, including executives and market expansion managers that will engage in business deals in, amongst others:

- Parts Manufacturing, including EV components, batteries and solar

- Raw Materials

- Parts Supply

- Parts Distribution

- Vehicle Manufacturing

- Component Manufacturers

- Vehicle Aftermarket Services

- Logistics Service Providers

- Infrastructural Projects e.g. Special Economic Zones

- Vehicle Accessories:

- Vehicle Electronics

- Vehicle Security

- Vehicle Maintenance

- Electric Vehicle Supply

- Electric Vehicle Accessories

- Vehicle Finance (Including Insurance)

  While challenges exist, the potential impact of a flourishing automotive sector is immense. The growth of the industry can drive economic development, create jobs, facilitate technology transfer and meet the unique transportation needs of African consumers.  

https://bit.ly/3DDxFZG

Colin-on-Cars - Action aplenty expected in East London

The fearsome Potters Pass – the fastest corner in South African motor racing – awaits the GR Cup at the weekend when the series visits the iconic East London Grand Prix Circuit for the first time.

The GR Cup driven by Netstar, part of Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, heads to East London for the fifth round of the 2023 season. The stage is set for an adrenaline-fueled showdown as six of the country's top motoring writers once again take the wheel of the stock Toyota GR86 cars, only slightly modified for track use.  

Located within sight of the Indian Ocean, the East London Grand Prix Circuit offers a picturesque backdrop to racing action that is usually intense. The circuit is renowned for its challenging nature and features high-speed corners such as Potter's Pass and Rifle, where drivers must exhibit exceptional skill and bravery to navigate the demanding right-hander, before braking hard for the following series of corners.  

Following the races of the previous rounds, the familiar faces of Mark Jones (Citizen), Denis Droppa (TimesLIVE), Setshaba Mashigo (ASAMM), Chad Luckhoff (Auto Trader), Reuben van Niekerk (Jumping Kids/Wheels24), and Brendon Staniforth will return to continue their battle for GR Cup glory.  

In an exciting addition to the event, Mario De Sousa will join the competition as a guest driver. De Sousa is no stranger to the world of motor racing, having previously participated in the GR Cup, driving the GR Yaris in Gqeberha last year.

However, this will be his first opportunity to unleash his skills behind the wheel of the GR86.  

As the championship reaches the latter half of the season, Setshaba Mashigo leads the GR Cup driven by Netstar standings with an impressive 47 points, holding a 15-point advantage over Mark Jones, who sits in second place. Denis Droppa occupies the third position with 24 points, just one point ahead of fourth-placed Chad Luckhoff. Reuben van Niekerk follows in fifth place, while Brendon Staniforth rounds out the standings in sixth place. 

"We are thrilled to bring the GR Cup to the prestigious East London Grand Prix Circuit," said Riaan Esterhuysen on behalf of Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa. "With the drivers' skills, the thrilling GR86 cars, and the rich racing heritage of the circuit, we are set for an electrifying event that will keep fans on the edge of their seats."

https://bit.ly/3NQQays

Colin-on-Cars - Extended warranty from Isuzu

A five-year and 700 000 kilometre warranty is on offer for new Isuzu truck buyers for less than R10 000 and guarantees the truck against breakdowns and mechanical failure for the duration of the warranty.  

Craig Uren, Senior Vice President: Revenue Generation at Isuzu says: “Isuzu is committed to helping our Customers keep their trucks on the road for longer and guarantees their durability and reliability. With the extended warranty on offer, for a nominal upfront cost of the purchase cost of the truck, you are getting more than double your normal warranty.

“The warranty guarantees the truck against breakdowns and mechanical failure for the duration of the warranty, as long as the customer correctly maintains their truck according to the maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual,” says Uren.  

Customers will need to elect to purchase the extended warranty at the same time as they purchase the new vehicle.  

“So, for example, if you buy your truck today, an extended warranty cannot be purchased six months down the line,” adds Uren. “If a failure occurs, and the Customer has maintained their truck according to the schedule, Isuzu will ensure the issue is resolved and return the truck to its original specification.

"Owning and using your Isuzu enables you and your organisation to continue to build your business with the total value offered by our trucks,” he adds.  

https://bit.ly/3rDhA3b

Colin-on-Cars - Boogie time with Jimny

Suzuki Auto SA is holding up on its promise made last year to host the largest ever gathering of Suzuki Jimny owners and fans – and it all goes down in Clarens in the Free State from September 22 to 24.

Entertainment for the get-together will come in the form of the Suzuki Safari Town Festival, which will be hosted on September 23 in the Clarens Town Square.

Unlike the Suzuki Jimny Gathering, the Suzuki Safari Town Festival will be open to Suzuki and non-Suzuki owners alike. Tickets are available from R60 to R250 per person.

“We have a jam-packed day of music, food and entertainment planned for the Suzuki Safari Town Festival,” says Henk van der Schyf, the event organiser.

“The event will be headlined by Goodluck, Mango Groove and Spoegwolf, and we have many other artists on the roster, including Femi Koya and Black Heidi. The comedian, Schalk Bezuidenhout, is our host for the day, and we will stream the SA/Ireland rugby game at 9 pm to wrap up the festivities.”

Bezuidenhout, a proud Jimny owner himself, will also be a feature at the Suzuki Jimny Gathering.

While live music and comedy are the main attractions, Suzuki and the event organisers have also arranged for a large selection of food and craft vendors. There will also be multiple craft bars, a large kids entertainment area and several opportunities throughout the day to meet and mingle with the artists.

“The Suzuki brand is for everyone. So, while we have many special treats planned for the Jimny owners, we wanted to make sure that everyone who visits Clarens on the weekend can have a jol. That is why we are so excited to be the headline sponsor of the Safari Town Festival,” says Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager of Suzuki Auto South Africa.

The Suzuki Jimny Gathering hopes to attract and entertain hundreds of the Jimny, SJ, LJ and Samurai owners in South Africa. By most estimates, there are over 20 000 owners of these vehicles in South Africa.

Jimny owners can register on jimnygathering.co.za to join the gathering, while fans of live music, good food and craft beer can purchase tickets online to join the fun.

https://bit.ly/43kJpLa