Kimberley - Eighty-seven rally drivers are taking part in the seven-day Amageza Rally which will take them from Kimberley to Botswana and then back to the Diamond City.
The race, which is said to be the second longest cross-country rally after the famous Dakar Rally, started at 6am on Sunday morning in the city.
The founder of the Amageza Rally, Alexander Nel, said drivers will face several challenges during the gruelling 4900-kilometre-long race.
“Drivers started the race this morning (yesterday) travelling to an unknown location. They have been given a map and instructions which they will have to follow meticulously in order to reach this location,” said Nel.
“They will race for 850 kilometres and then spend the night at this location. They will then head to Botswana where they will spend the next three days travelling across the country before the race ends in Kimberley again. This means drivers would have to complete a 4911-kilometre-long course.”
Nel said they have participants from across the world taking part in the rally.
PREP FOR THE DAKAR
“Many of them use the Amageza Rally as preparation for the Dakar Rally. We received entries from the United Kingdom, Iceland, Holland and America, to name but a few.
“This is a multi-national race and will also give drivers a feel for the undiscovered adventure in the Northern Cape and Botswana.”
According to Nel this year is the first time that the rally will take them to Botswana.
“The Amageza will test the driver and his vehicle’s endurance and perseverance. We suspect that about 30 percent of the participants will complete the race because this is not easy terrain to race on,” he said.
There are no cash prizes up for grabs. “The winner will walk away with a trophy and with the knowledge that he won the ultimate adventure,” said Nel.
“The Northern Cape is an adventure centre which most people have not discovered. This will be one of the greatest adventures for some of the drivers and will expand the tourism footprint of the Province.”
The CEO of Northern Cape Tourism, Sharron Lewis, said the race will highlight the adventure sport the Province has to offer.
“This is the second year that we are participating in the event and the race went well last year. We are excited that it enables us to work with our Southern Africa partners. It is a good networking opportunity for the country and will boost the local economy of many communities in the Province as well as Botswana,” said Lewis.
The Tourism Development manager of Botswana Tourism, Leatile Setilo, said they are excited to get in on the act.
“This is now the biggest rally in Africa and it is going to pass through our region. This will definitely increase visitors as drivers will see and experience what we have to offer and may decide to return with their families. This is a great initiative and will also market the diverse tourism potential of Botswana,” he said.
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