It is time for the keenly-awaited Century Property Development – Century Racing 400, the third round of the 2026 SA Rally-Raid Championship to take place on 28 and 29 August from Louvain Guest Farm, situated halfway between George and Uniondale in the southern Cape’s spectacular Garden Route.
This event took place for the first time last year and proved to be an immediate favourite as it was voted the Best Event on the 2025 calendar by competitors. The race was scheduled for May this year, but extreme and unexpected flooding just days before race weekend, forced the organisers and venue owners to postpone the race. Landowners, farmers and businesses have still not recovered from the severe damage caused by the two successive floods and the devastation is still visible, but the community will be ready to welcome the SA Rally-Raid teams, guests, supporters and spectators back to the area.
Louvain Guest Farm will host the Outeniqua event, this year sponsored by Gauteng-based Century Property Developments and Century Racing, two businesses that have played an integral role in the development of cross-country racing in South Africa over the past three decades. Under the ownership of the Corbett family, who has competed in various facets of the sport locally and internationally since 1996, have established a proud and distinguished history not only as talented competitors amassing numerous accolades in the Dakar Rally, known as the world’s toughest motorsport event, but also as race car developers and manufacturers.
In the Garden Route, the Upper Langkloof, flanked by the Kouga and Kammanassie mountain ranges towards the north and the Outeniqua mountains to the south, will welcome the Century Property Development – Century Racing 400 event. The valley has a rich history and is home to citrus and ostrich farming while it is rapidly growing as a popular tourist destination. Its varied landscapes are ideal for the rally-raid event and competitors can look forward to fast, open lowlands as well as more technical mountain pass climbs, river crossings and game farm style roads.
The Century Property Developments – Century Racing 400 will start at 09:30 on Friday morning with a 25-kilometre qualifying race that will be followed by Stage One (95 kilometres). And competitors will immediately have to get into race rhythm as a route up and over two separate mountains with some interesting and challenging sections in-between that will also include a section of the old historical Ox-wagon Trail awaits. This trail dates back to 1776 when it was used as a trade route between the Langkloof Valley and the coast. The results of the qualifying race will determine the starting order for Stage One that starts at 13:00 and again finishes at Louvain.
Saturday’s route will have a familiar look to it as Stages Two and Three will both be 152 kilometres in distance and will take competitors over some of the same racing sections as the 2025 event. Mountain passes, river crossings and some rocky terrains are on the menu with the route favouring those who can adjust their pace according to the terrain. Racing will start at 08:30 at Louvain Guest Farm where the Designated Service Point (DSP) will also be situated.
Teams will return to the DSP after completing Stage Two and will take on Stage Three after a compulsory 30-minute decontrol. They will finish at Louvain where the podium ceremonies will take place.
The Century Property Developments – Century Racing 400 will also form the fourth and fifth rounds of the Eastern Cape Off-road Club series. These competitors will have to complete the 25-kilometre qualifying race as well as Stage One (95 kilometres) on Friday while they will only do Stage Two on Saturday for a total of 272 kilometres.
This event is the only round of the SA Rally-Raid national championship that takes teams and their spectacular vehicles to the Western Cape Province and as the area is situated less than 500 kilometres from the Cape and close to George Airport, it is the ideal event to experience spectacular racing.
Published by: Charmaine Fortune
Photography by: Dave Ledbitter
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