Dakar 2026 tough on South African participants
The 2026 Dakar Rally delivered one of the most thrilling and competitive editions of the world’s toughest off‑road endurance race.
- Industry News
- 19 January 2026
There was plenty of adrenaline-fuelled action and drama at the 14th running of the Simola Hillclimb in Knysna.
The top three quickest cars saw Robert Wolk earn his first King of the Hill title in the Single Seater, Sports Car and Sports Prototypes category, while Dawie Joubert claimed the Modified Saloon Car win for the first time. JP van der Walt entrenched his domination of the Road Car and Supercar category by taking his fourth consecutive title.
There were exciting class battles throughout the field for individual honours, including the new class B10 for modified street-legal cars. The 2024 Simola Hillclimb certainly produced a spectacular show for the fans in attendance, as well as the large number of online enthusiasts watching the livestream from around the world.
The class winners were:
Road Cars and Supercars (provisional results, subject to final confirmation)
Modified Saloon Cars
Single Seater, Sports Car and Sports Prototypes
Spirit of Dave Charlton Award
For the 2024 King of the Hill, the award went to Team Scuderia Scribante, headed by brothers Silvio and Aldo Scribante from Gqeberha.
The 2026 Dakar Rally delivered one of the most thrilling and competitive editions of the world’s toughest off‑road endurance race.
Volvo Cars has partnered with type specialists Dalton Maag to develop Centum, a bespoke typeface crafted specifically for the in‑car environment.
Time to enter is running out for prospective participants in the 16th Simola Hillclimb, which will be held in the Knysna region later this year from 30 April to 3 May.