A passion for adventure, road trips and helping others. If you check those boxes, you’re the perfect candidate to take part in the 2023 Africa Rally.
Participants can expect three weeks of unbridled exploration, life-changing experiences, and making new friends en route from Hartbeespoort to Kisumu in Kenya. An epic party at the start, an epic party at the finish line, and plenty of opportunity for mischief in between are added benefits.
And, to make it even more worthwhile, teams have to raise a minimum of £500 (about R10 000) for a charity of their choice.
Here’s what you need to know.
Dates: 1 July 2023 – 22 July 2023
Entry fees: From £995 per team (about R21 000) and depends on the category you enter for.
Participants can stick to traditional categories like Car, 4×4 or Motorbike. But those who are keen to stand out can enter the Random Vehicle category which allows you to use just about anything on wheels (think fire engines, ambulances, ice cream vans, and other vehicles you wouldn’t necessarily expect to find in the middle of the African savanna).
There are three different routes from Hartebeespoort to Kisumu and teams can choose any one they like. There are no prizes for the first across the finish line, but rather for the teams that embody the spirit of the rally the best by raising money for a good cause, and generally doing good while traversing Africa.
Paul Clayton, founder and organiser of Africa Rally, says he’s always been an adventurer at heart. ‘I’ve been taking part in charity rallies and adventure travel events in a variety of different vehicles since 2010 (when I drove from London to Mongolia), however, this has been in parallel to a corporate career covering the Middle East and Africa.’
‘During the pandemic, the company I was working for sold and I was given the opportunity to start doing something I absolutely love – namely setting up Africa Rally Group, and trading the boardroom for the workshop,’ he adds. ‘Any vehicle can enter, there’s no set route, and we provide free drinks (yes, alcoholic ones), free food, free camping, and free entertainment at both the start and finish lines! Other than that, teams are on their own.’
Registration is open and can be done here: africarally.com
Pictures: Africa Rally/Paul Clayton
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