Ross Branch and Henk Lategan triumphed in a dramatic, slippery Stage 1 of the SA Safari Rally, where wild savannah terrain and tight navigation tested even the best in the world.
South Africa (21 May 2025) – Treacherous savannah terrain, slippery grass sections and relentless navigation traps set the tone for a thrilling Stage 1 of the SA Safari Rally. As Africa’s wild character revealed itself, local talent rose, championship leaders stumbled, and the Dakar icons fought back.
After a fast-paced prologue, competitors in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) were immediately faced with one of the most challenging opening stages of the season. Nearly 20% of the 260 km competitive section was savannah; wild, high-grass plains notorious for hiding rocks and ruts. The combination of slick surfaces and hidden hazards punished errors in both pace and judgment.
Branch Breaks Through in Bikes
Despite a tough opening few kilometres, Botswana’s Ross Branch (Hero Motosports) powered through to claim the bike Stage 1 victory. His reward came after rivals Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) were penalised for navigational missteps. Branch, too, battled with route-finding chaos and a bizarre incident involving re-closed gates that forced officials to credit riders time post-stage.
“I loved being on my bike today,” Branch said. “It was wild out there – I got lost a few times early on, but the support from the fans really pushed me through.”
His team-mate, France’s Adrien Van Beveren, finished second, while Brabec made a strong recovery to complete the podium.
“It was a surprise how slippery the grass was,” Brabec noted. “But the wind kept the dust away, and that helped a lot when trying to catch guys ahead.”
Prologue winner and championship leader Sanders, despite setting a competitive stage pace, had to settle for fourth.
“We got lost a fair bit,” he admitted. “It’s deceiving – you think navigation on fields and farms should be easy, but you’re slipping all over and miss key turns.”
Canet Shines in Rally2 as Docherty Hits the Dirt, Twice
In the Rally2 class, Spain’s Edgar Canet bagged the stage win for Red Bull KTM, ahead of Tobias Ebster (Hero Motosport) and Konrad Dabrowski (BAS World KTM).
But the real story was South Africa’s Michael Docherty. After missing his start time due to illness, the Rally2 prologue winner crashed twice, the second time at over 120 km/h. Remarkably, he still clawed back to fourth in class.
“I got high-sided off the bike at 120 and thought that was it – but I’m fine,” said Docherty, who now sits one stage win shy of tying Romain Dumontier’s W2RC Rally2 stage victory record.
In the quad category, France’s Gaëtan Martinez was untouchable, taking the win by a dominant 27 minutes for CFMoto Thunder Racing.
Lategan Makes it 70 for Toyota
Local legend Henk Lategan, with navigator Brett Cummings, delivered a flawless run to win Stage 1 in the car category, marking Toyota’s 70th W2RC stage victory. The TGRSA Hilux pairing was fast, smooth, and unshaken by the challenging terrain.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in one of these cars, and to come back like this – at home, against the best – is something special,” said Lategan. “The navigation was tricky, but Brett nailed it.”
Spain’s Carlos Sainz, now piloting the Ford M-Sport Raptor, was a close second – proving age is no barrier to pace.
“The terrain was wild, but we managed it well,” said the five-time Dakar winner.
Third went to rallying royalty: Sébastien Loeb. After the disappointment of prologue, the Dacia Sandriders driver made an emphatic comeback, opening the road and guiding his car safely through every trap laid by the bushveld.
“It was slippery,” Loeb said, “but not as narrow as the prologue. We focused on clean navigation, and it paid off.”
Penalties Shake Up Prologue Form
While the Stage 1 podium celebrated a mix of experience and endurance, the day was less kind to the young South African stars who dominated the prologue.
Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (NWM Evo Plus) dropped to 12th. Prologue third-place duo Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy (TGRSA Hilux) plummeted to 34th after a 15-minute penalty for missing a waypoint. Saood Variawa and François Cazalet, who had initially won the prologue before a jump-start penalty, also dropped down the order due to further infringements.
Stage 2: Into the Wild, Unsupported
Stage 2 marks the first half of the event’s marathon section, with riders and drivers staying overnight in a remote bivouac, with no outside technical support allowed. With 356 km of racing ahead, and Stage 3 waiting just beyond the horizon, it’s a punishing test of endurance, discipline, and mechanical sympathy.
Branch and Lategan will both lead their respective fields out into the unknown. For the favourites, the next two stages could decide everything, or end everything.
We will be reporting on all stages, so you can catch up on any missed reports here.
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