Five of the best African rally drivers

Joginder Singh

Known as the ‘Flying Sikh’, on account of his turban that he managed to combine with a helmet, Joginder Singh was a Kenyan with Indian heritage who managed to carve his name into the Safari Rally history books by winning three times – the first man to notch up such a hat-trick there. He was also the first Sikh driver to win an international rally: a real pioneer.

 

Ian Duncan

The ultimate ringer, Ian Duncan was a Kenyan driver who was regularly drafted into top factory squads for the Safari Rally, especially with Toyota. He won the event outright in 1994, in a Celica, meaning that he is the most recent African winner of a WRC event. Not only that, but he also won the Kenyan national championship six times.

 

Conrad Rautenbach

From Zimbabwe, Conrad Rautenbach was the most recent African driver to compete in the WRC – and, like Kimathi, he also drove on the Junior WRC. His best finish was fourth at the 2008 Rally Argentina, and he was in the top 10 four times in 2009, as team-mate of Sébastien Ogier at the Citroën Junior Team. He won the African championship in 2007 and ’11.

 

Giniel de Villiers

A former Dakar winner, the South African cut his teeth on touring cars before switching to off-road competition in 2003. The high point of his career was his 2009 victory on the Dakar in South America with Volkswagen. Incredibly, he has never retired throughout all his 19 Dakar drives and has only been out of the top 10 once – on the toughest rally in the world.

 

Shekhar Mehta

The Ugandan was a fierce rival of Singh but the more successful. Co-driven by his wife Yvonne, he conquered the Safari Rally a record five times and finished fifth in the 1981 World Rally Championship. He drove mainly for Datsun, going on to hold some prominent roles at the FIA right up to his death. Shekhar Mehta is the most successful WRC driver from Africa.