The 48th edition of the Dakar Rally, which starts on 3 January 2026 from the Port of Yanbu on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia and finishes on 17 January, featuring a loop of 8 000 kilometres including timed stages and a rest day in Riyadh, will not only see various South African competitors participating, but a multitude of locally designed, built and prepared vehicles will also be on the start line. And while thousands of supporters follow this gruelling annual race, that takes place for the seventh consecutive year in Saudi Arabia, the hopes will be high for the silverware to find its way to South Africa.
With the 2025 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) completed after six tough and demanding events, various local drivers and navigators as well as their teams and service crew are frantically preparing for Saudi Arabia while some of the race vehicles are already en route for this epic event.
Looking at the South African interest in the 2026 Dakar Rally, two local drivers will be behind the wheel of the latest Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) Hilux IMT Evo machines. The newly crowned SA champion, Saood Variawa (20) will take on his third Dakar Rally and will again make use of French navigator, Francois Cazalet, while multiple SA Rally Champion, Guy Botterill, who finished sixth in 2024, will make his third appearance with his 2025 navigator, the Spaniard, Oriol Mena
Two more teams, the Argentine, Juan Cruz Yacopini and Spaniard, Daniel Oliveras and the Portuguese team, João Ferreira and Filipe Palmera, as well as Team Principal, Shameer Variawa, service and support crew are included in the TGRSA entourage.
Four times SARR champion, Henk Lategan and regular navigator, Brett Cummings, who won the SA title five times, are part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC team competing with the new Glynn Hall engineered DKR GR Hilux developed for Belgium based partners Overdrive Racing. Lategan/Cummings finished an impressive second as the close runners-up after the 2025 edition, a significant improvement on their fifth place in 2023, and another solid result their aim for 2026. The team also include the American duo, Seth Quintero and Andrew Short and Ozzie new-comer Toby Price and Spanish navigator, Armand Monleón.
The Midrand-based race car constructor, Century Racing, will see no less than ten starters – eight teams in CR7 and two teams in CR6 vehicles do battle. The South African team, Brian Baragwanath, who will be competing for the eight time – his sixth in the car category after participating twice in the quad category and finishing third in 2016 – and Leonard Cremer, will be in the new CR7 4-wheel drive vehicle with a good result high on the priority list for the local brand.
Although no SA competitors will compete in the upcoming Dakar Rally in Red-Lined Motorsport vehicles, the Midrand constructor will support two international clients, Aliyyah Koloc (Red-Lined REVO T1+ GTR) who briefly participated in the SARRC with Riaan Greyling in 2023, and Macin Pasek and Martin Koloc/Mirko Brun (Red-Lined REVO T1+ V8.
Two locally built VW Amarok vehicles, produced by WCT Engineering, will also see local navigators reading the notes for the German drivers who are both regular competitors in SA. Jürgen Schröder, has competed in the Dakar Rally many times since making his debut as navigator for Alfie Cox in the first South American edition in 2009 – that was won by SA’s Giniel de Villiers, who will be missed in 2026 after starting and completing 21 consecutive Dakar Rally events since his debut in 2003, an unrivalled record for consecutive finishes – Jürgen will have Port Edward bike rider, Stuart Gregory, next to him while his son, Daniel, will make use of the services of experienced navigator, Henry Köhne. WCT Engineering will be out in full force and will be providing the support to the two teams.
Other local competitors include Leander Pienaar, who will navigate for Abdullah Al-Fahad in a Can-Am Maverick in the SSV Class while the services of Dennis Murphy have been acquired by the American driver, Lawence Janesky in a similar vehicle. And while both Murphy and Pienaar have competed in the Dakar Rally previously, it will be Al-Fahad and Janesky’s first outings.
The young Stellenbosch lady driver, Puck Klaassen, will take on this race for the third time after completing the Dakar Classic in 2024 together with her father in a Porsche Martiny. Earlier this year she teamed up with Free State bike rider, Charan Moore, a former original by Motul winner and for the 2026 edition, the Argentine, Augusto Sanz, will share the cockpit of the GRally Lightweight Prototype with her.
And while the South African flag will be noticeable around the bivouac and route, SA commentator Matt Smith, who has worked closely with the SARRC for numerous years, will be on the world stage for the first time. Smith’s in-depth knowledge of the sport, both on two and four wheels, was recognised by the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) and will be in attendance as the daily anchor at this majestic event and the on the stage presenter and voice for the 52-minute worldwide television highlights package broadcast daily.
The SA Rally-Raid Championship wishes everyone involved in the legendary 2026 Dakar Rally a safe and successful adventure.
Brett – Henk Toyota Gazoo Racing – SA Safari Rally Dave Ledbitter 
Brett-Henk – SA Safari Rally 
Brian Baragwanath_Century Racing – SA Safari Rally Dave Ledbitter 
Daniel Schröder – Henry Kohne _PS Laser Racing SA Safari Rally– Edophoto 
Guy BOTTERILL_Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa SVR – SA Safari Rally -Dave Ledbitter 
Jürgen Schröder – Stuart Gregory _PS Laser Racing -SA Safari Rally – Dave Ledbitter 
Mathieu Serradorri Century Racing -SA Safari Rally – Dave Ledbitter 
Puck Klaasen – SA Safari RallyDave Ledbitter 
Sa’ood VARIAWA_ Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa SVR – SA Safari Rally Dave Ledbitter 
Saood Variawa_Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa SVR – SA Safari Rally Edophoto
Published by: Charmaine Fortune
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