Female Rally Drivers After 1950: Africa

Stefanie Botha and Angela Shields

Women have featured in African rallies since they first appeared in the 1950s. Below are some short profiles. This post only covers stage rallying; rally raids such as the Dakar have their own page.
Susan Muwonge's profile is located in the Rally Winners post. Viviane Evina has her own post.
Kenyan drivers have their own post, here.

Irene “Leila” Blick (Mayanja) - Ugandan driver who came to prominence in 2013, after navigating for her husband, Omar Mayanja, since at least 2005. In 2013, she was tenth in her first event of the year, the Mbarara Rally, and won her class. Her car was a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo II, and her navigator was Faridah Ndagire. She retired from her next three rallies, including the Pearl of Africa event, but her fortunes changed when she switched to Toyota power. She was fifth in the Mukwano Independence Rally, driving a Run-X, and seventh in the Oilybia Mount Elgon Rally, in an Allex. The last event also gave her a class win. She competed quite extensively in Uganda in 2014, in the Allex. She finished in the top ten on three occasions: eighth in the Mbarara Rally, fourth in the Source of the Nile Rally, and sixth in the SMC Challenge Rally. She also entered the Milles Collines event in Rwanda, which was cancelled due to a fatal accident. She had another season in the Allex in 2015, and her best rally was the Mountains of the Moon event, in which she was twelfth. She was quite busy in 2016, in the Allex, rallying in both Uganda and Rwanda, although her finishing record was not brilliant. Her best result was an eleventh place in the Gorillas in the Mist Rally. She returned to the stages in a Subaru Impreza in 2018, with a best finish of fourteenth in the Jinja Challenge Rally. Irene is from a motorsport family: her parents both rallied as a team.

Stefanie Botha - second generation rally driver, originally from Namibia. She co-drove for her father Willem Hugo from the age of 15, then switched to driving at 18 in 2007, with Willem as navigator. In 2008, she drove in her regional championship in South Africa, using cars including a Subaru Impreza. For 2010, she was part of the RallyStar driving academy and moved up to the SA championship, scoring two class wins. Team Total signed her for 2011, driving a Toyota RunX in the SA championship. With Angela Shields, she ran well, although mechanical troubles caused many retirements. The situation has been the same in 2012. In 2013, she really stepped up, and was second in the Band Windhoek Azurite Tsumeb Rally. She also achieved thirds in the Total Tara and Walvis Bay rallies, in South Africa and Namibia. In 2014, she rallied a Subaru Impreza and a Toyota Corolla in Namibia, but did not finish any of her events. She tried again in the Subaru in 2015, in the Namibian championship, but still did not finish any of her events. After a long break, she came back to the Namibian championship in 2024, in an Impreza. She finished one rally, the Tara Rally, in seventh place. Away from rallying, Stefanie also competes in dirt-track circuit races.

Madeleine Britz - rallies a Volkswagen Golf in her native South Africa. She seems to have done her first major rallies in 2017, when she finished four of her seven events. The best of these for her was the Volkswagen Regional Rally, in which she was twelfth. In 2018, she did even better, scoring her first top-ten finish in the Trade Brand Natal Rally, the first round of the South African championship. She was tenth overall. 2019 was not quite as successful in the Polo, but she did manage one top-twenty finish, a 19th place in the Fountains Mall Rally. Her usual navigator is Maryka Britz or Wendy Mitchell.

Michelle Fortmann - Zimbabwean driver who has been rallying on and off since 2007. She was eleventh in her first event, the Dunlop Zimbabwe Challenge, in a Ford Escort. Her best result seems to have been eighth in the 2010 Zimbabwe Challenge Rally, in a Toyota Corolla. She has also driven a Subaru Impreza. Away from active competition, she works as a motorsport photographer.

Natasha Fourie - rallied a Toyota Tazz in South Africa in 2017. Her best event was the Bapsfontein Rally, in which she was seventh. She was also tenth in the Secunda Regional Rally. These were two of her six finishes that year. Her 2018 season included five rallies. She only finished one, the Sam 100 Rally, in eleventh place. In 2018, she also seemed to be co-driving for Johann Fourie, in another Toyota Tazz. She returned to driving in 2021, entering the Toyota Delmas Rally in the Tazz. She rolled. “Natasha Fourie” is a common name in South Africa, which does not help efforts to find out more about this one.

Megan Heine - South African driver, active since at least 2013. She usually drives Volkswagen cars. Between 2013 and 2015, she was a regular on South African rallies, particularly the Volkswagen Rally, which seems to be her local event. She was 18th in the 2013 Ocean Basket Rally in a Volkswagen Golf. Apart from driving, Megan co-drives occasionally, and in 2015, she piloted the support helicopter for some rounds of the South African championship.

Melissa Heyman - rallies Volkswagens in her native South Africa. Her first season looks to have been 2013, when she used a Golf. She scored her first top ten, a ninth place in the Peotr Club Rally. She entered club and national rallies, including the Volkswagen Rally which she did not finish. In 2014, she entered this event again and was fifteenth. The following year, she improved her best finish to sixth in the Algoa Steel Rally. A break from competition ensued after 2015, but she returned in 2017. The Golf was exchanged for a Polo. She was tenth in the Valley Bash and Fountains Mail Rallies. She continued with the Polo in 2018 and had a best finish of eleventh in the Stu Davidson & Sons Rally.

Queen Kalimpinya - Rwandan driver and co-driver who became the first Rwandan woman to finish a national rally. She first attempted the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally in 2022, driving a Subaru Impreza, but did not finish. In 2023, she drove a GC8 model Impreza and finished third overall in the Huye Rally. The driver she sat beside in 2022, Fabrice Nyiridandi Yoto, did not finish. Together, they were second in the 2022 Nyirangarama Sprint Rally. In 2024, she was third in the Huye Rally, in an Impreza.

Sandra Labuscagne - rallied a Toyota Tazz in her native South Africa in 2017. She was co-driven by Jaco Jonk. During the season, she scored one top-ten finish, an eighth place in the Witklip Fram Bronkhorstspruit Rally. She was also eleventh in the Sam 100 Rally. In 2016, she tried her hand at cross-country rallying; as a navigator, she was selected by the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission for the Qatar Sealine Rally, with Cristina Gutierrez-Herrero as her driver. They were 24th. Sandra competes regularly in South African off-road rallies with her father, Coetzee.

Janine Lourens – rallies in South Africa, often sharing a car with her twin sister, Michelle. Rather unusually, the sisters share driving duties, alternating every season. In 2012, Janine took the wheel, and was 19^th in the Polokwane Rally. Her car was a Toyota Conquest. She also rallied in her regional championship, finishing thirteenth in the SA Earthworks All Tar Rally and seventh in the SAHRA Night Rally. She began her career at 17, in 2009, driving in rallysprints with her sister, navigated by their father. In 2010, she alternated driving duties with Michelle in regional rallies. Janine also navigates for Craig Trott. 2015 had her take the wheel again, with Michelle on the maps. She was sixth and seventh in the two-part Secunda Regional Rally, and sixth in the Motomid Rally. 

Michelle Lourens - South African driver who competes as part of a family team. Her twin sister, Janine, is her current navigator, and the pair have swapped seats several times in the past. They began rallying together, in 2009, at 17, in rallysprints. They did the Northern regional championship in South Africa in 2010, and took turns driving. After a quiet year, without significant sponsorship, in 2011, Janine took the wheel in 2012, again, contesting their regional championship. In 2013, with Michelle driving, they moved up to the South African championship, driving a Toyota Conquest, mainly. Her best result was fifth, in the East Rand Rally, and she also won her class in the Ford Dealer Rally, finishing 25th overall. In 2014, Michelle continued to drive in the South African championship, in an S2000-spec Toyota Tazz. She was seventh in the Hallspeed Rally, in South Africa. In 2015, she filled in as both driver and co-driver, to Janine. She drove a Toyota Run-X in the South African championship, but did not finish any of her events. Back in the driving seat in 2017, she entered the Sam 100 Rally, and was thirteenth overall.

Rose Lwakataka - Ugandan driver who has been rallying on and off since around 2008. She is the wife of former Ugandan champion Ponsiano Lwakataka, and shares his car, a Subaru Impreza, on occasion. She was seventh in the Pearl Rally in Uganda in 2008. As well as stage rallies, she competes in rallysprint events in Africa, and is promoted as a great rival to Susan Muwonge.

Laureen Marufu - Zimbabwean driver who has been competing since 2010. She was ninth in her first event, the Toyota Challenge Rally. The following year, she was sixth in the same event. The same year, she was also eighth in the Zambia International Rally, again driving a Toyota  Corolla. In 2012, she entered the Zimbabwe event again, but could not finish, driving the Toyota. She intends to contest more African rallies in the future.

Bianca Njeneza - Burundian driver who competes in her home rally championship. In 2018, she rallied a Peugeot 205 and a Toyota Curen. She retired from her first event, the Rally Ngozi, but was third in her second, the Burundi Rally. She was using the Toyota this time. In 2021 she entered the Rallye de l'Imbo in a Toyota Avensis, although it is not clear whether she finished. Bianca is Burundi’s first female rally driver, after being offered a car by a friend.

Britney du Piesanie - rallies a Volkswagen Golf in South Africa. She competes in the Algoa Rally Club championship and has been active since 2017. In March 2018, she scored her career-best result in the first round of this series, finishing thirteenth overall in the Stu Davidson & Sons Rally. Britney’s Golf is provided by the school where she is a sixth former. The car was donated to Daniel Pienaar School and it is the only school in the country that runs its own motorsport team.

Magriet Potgieter - competes in South Africa in a Ford Fiesta. 2021 was her first season in a car, having supported her husband but never done any co-driving or other motorsport before. Her first event was the NTT Toyota Delmas Rally, which took place on and around her own farmland. She was eleventh on the first day and tenth on the second, from 17 entrants. She also finished the Rallystar National Rally in eleventh place. A second season in the Fiesta gave her a string of top-ten finishes, the best of these being sixth in the TRAC and Lake Umuzi National Rallies.In 2023, she rallied the Fiesta again and suffered a lot of retirements, but she was also fifth in the TRAC National Rally. 2024 was better from a finishing point of view; she finished three rallies, the best of these being a fourth place in the TRAC Rally.

Andrea Raaths - rallies a Volkswagen Golf in South Africa. She has been active in the Womza National championship and the African Regional Rally Organisation series since 2017. Her first top-ten finish was a ninth place in the 2018 Zane Rencken Tribute Rally, co-driven by Mauritz Britz. She picked up six top-tens in 2018, the best of these being a fifth in the Secunda Rally. At the end of the season, she was unofficially named as South Africa’s fastest female driver. After a year off, she returned to the Northern Regions championship, picking up a best finish of ninth in the Rallystar National Day 2 event. She rallied a Toyota Run-X in 2022 and competed extensively in the Northern Regions championship, but she suffered multiple car problems and only finished three events. A switch to an Auris gave her a thirteenth place in the 2023 Bronx National Rally.

Riane Rautenbach - rallies a Volkswagen Polo in South Africa. She competes in the Algoa Rally club series and is co-driven by Stephno Pieterse. Her best result so far has been twelfth place in the 2019 Baywest Regional Rally, third in class. She has also been second in class in the Stu Davidson & Sons Rally. The Polo came out again in 2020 and she was ninth in an ARC Rally Club sprint. Her two rallies in 2021 gave her a ninth and tenth place. A longer schedule followed in 2022, including a seventh place in the SCC Fountains Night Rally. Although she appears to have been involved in rallying for several years, she only began competing at the start of 2019.

Sonika Rautenbach - rallied a Toyota Yaris in Algoa Rally Club events in South Africa. Her best finish was an eleventh place in the Heinesport Night Rally. 2020 appears to have been her first season in a rally car, although she did do some oval racing in 2018 and 2019, in a Beginners’ class. She also took part in a women’s oval championship in 2018. In 2021 she rallied the Yaris again, earning a best finish of eleventh in the Fountains Mall Rally. This improved to a seventh place in the Triple L Pant Despatch Rally in 2022.

Carole Roinet - Ivorian driver who has competed in Cote d’Ivoire since 2022. Her first car was a Dacia Logan, which she used for the first half of the 2022 season. She then switched to a Peugeot 207 RC and came away with three class wins from the four rallies she entered in it. The best of these was a fifth place in the Top Chrono de Cocody event. In 2023, she was eighth in the Bandama Rally, after retiring in 2022. She and co-driver Adjoua Yarene Kouassi-Lenoir won their class. She rallied quite extensively in 2024, picking up fourth places in the Rallye de Tafire and the Rallye RCAA, both in the 207.

Luné Snyman - South African driver who rallies a Toyota Tazz in her home championship. In 2017, her best result has been an eighth place in the York Regional Rally. 2017 was only her second year of rallying, after buying her car in 2016 and entering one event in Heidleberg. She was ninth in the 2018 Natal Rally, driving the Tazz. She is co-driven by her father, Edward Strydom. In 2019, she entered Rally South Africa in a Subaru Impreza, but did not finish.

Bianca Theunissen - South African driver who started driving herself in 2017, after several years of navigating for Nick Theunissen. Her car is an Opel Corsa, which she first started using in 2017. Her best result in her first year was a sixteenth place in the Tzaneen Midas Rally. She continued to compete in 2018 and her first event was the York Rally. She did not finish. The Tzaneen Midas Rally was her best result again: she was ninth. In 2020 she entered one major rally, the TRACN4 National event, but the car's head gasket blew. She was tenth in the 2021 Lowveld 100 Rally and thirteenth in the Tzaneen Rally, driving the Corsa. In 2022, she only did one rally in the Corsa, finishing eleventh in the TRAC National Rally. Her co-driver is Yvonne Theunissen.

Lola Verlaque - South African driver who competes in the African championship, often with her sister Megan as her co-driver. In 2008, they were third in the Rally of Tanzania, driving a Subaru Impreza. They were eleventh in the same event in 2009, driving a VW Polo S2000 this time. They also competed in the revived Safari Rally in 2007 and 2009, but retired both times. Their cars were the Impreza and the Polo. In 2008, Lola drove a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 and was sixth in the African championship. Her best overall result was her Tanzanian third, although she was also fifth in Zambia. In 2007 they were third in the championship, with a best result of second in Zambia. After a break from competition, which included a couple of events where Megan did not navigate for her sister (in 2010), they returned to action in 2011, driving a VW Golf in the East African Safari Classic Rally. In 2015, she rallied both a VW Golf and a Toyota Corolla in the South African championship, with a best finish of ninth, in the Classic Rally South Africa. Her car was the Golf, and her co-driver was Edward Verlaque. The same pairing tackled the Top Fry Rift 1000 Classic Rally in 2016, in the Golf. They finished in 24th place. The Verlaque duo tackled four rallies in 2017, finishing two. Lola was eleventh in the Caledon Rally and 16th in the HMC Electrothread Rally. She entered the Classic Safari in 2018 in the Golf and was 29th overall, ten places below her sister. In 2019, she ran the Golf in the Cape Overberg Grand Prix but did not finish, then drove a Mk1 Ford Escort in the Top Fry Rally in Kenya. She was 17th, one place ahead of her sister this time. After a break, she netered the 2022 East African Mini Classic Rally in the Golf, finishing 23rd. She was 43rd in the same event in 2023, having finished under SuperRally rules. In 2024, she used a historic Datsun, entering the Jim Heather-Hayes Memorial Rally.

Michelle Yorke - Zimbabwean driver who has been competing in Africa since at least 2008. She has driven in three Zimbabwe Rally Challenge events, in 2008, 2011 and 2012. For the first two rallies, she used a Toyota Corolla. In 2012, this was replaced by a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV. She has finished the event once, in 2008, when she was tenth. 

(Image from http://www.timeslive.co.za/)