The Spirit of Africa (SOA) and its co-sponsor, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV), has recently undertaken several planning sessions with a view of staging the 2020 Spirit of Africa Trophy.

The Spirit of Africa event will be postponed until next year, 2021. The communication that went out from VW Commercial Vehicles that the event will be cancelled is incorrect.

At one stage it was anticipated that we could reschedule the event this year, 2020. Unfortunately, the continued restrictions regarding cross border travelling and the surge of Covid 19 virus cases in the Eastern Cape has caused VW Commercial Vehicles to drastically revise their operations.

In view of the above, it has been decided that, all being well, the 2020 SOA will now take place during the first quarter of 2021. In arriving at this conclusion, we have anticipated that the virus pandemic will have abated somewhat and that future restrictions will be dictated by level 2 or, hopefully, a lower level. Taking this into account, it would alleviate the embargo on the cross-border travel, which will allow our Botswana and Namibian contestants the opportunity to participate.

Another exciting aspect of staging the event during the first quarter of 2021, will be the opportunity for contestants to experience the new 190kw Volkswagen Amarok. Contestants will be putting their new bakkie through its paces for the first time and it is expected to be a very valuable, not-to-be-missed "ultimate test drive".

All existing bookings will be honoured. We will take the 2020 booking schedule as it stands and adjust the group dates to align with the new dates for 2021 and advise you of your new date in January 2021. Should you not be able to take up the slot, you may request an alternate date which, if available, will have you transferred to your new slot.

Spirit of Africa bookings will remain open to take up new bookings for the spaces that were not filled for 2020.

As we have already paid for the venue, clothing and the VAT on all payments received, we are in the unenviable position to undertake refunds for entry fees. Your entry fee will be transferred to 2021.

Once again, The Spirit of Africa wishes to thank all contestants, who have enrolled in the event this year, for their patience, understanding and forbearance, while awaiting the start of the 2020 competition.

Die Spirit of Africa (SOA) en hul mede-borg, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV), het onlangs verskeie beplanningsessies onderneem met die oog op die aanbieding van die 2020 Spirit of Africa Trophy.

Die Spirit of Africa kompetisie word uitgestel tot volgende jaar, 2021. Die kommunikasie van VWCV dat die geleentheid gekanselleer word, is verkeerd.

Op 'n stadium is verwag dat ons die kompetisie, 2020, sal herskeduleer. Ongelukkig moes VW hul bedrywighede drasties hersien as gevolg van die voortgesette beperkings oor die grense heen reis en die Covid 19-virusgevalle in die Oos-Kaap.

In die lig van bogenoemde is besluit dat die Spirit of Africa nou sal plaasvind gedurende die eerste kwartaal van 2021. By hierdie besluit, verwag ons dat die viruspandemie ietwat sou verswak en dat die beperkings sal bepaal word deur vlak 2 of hopelik 'n laer vlak. As dit in ag geneem word, sal dit die beperkings oor die grense verlig. Dit sal ons deelnemers van Botswana en Namibië die geleentheid gee om ook deel te neem.

'n Verdere opwindende aspek van die byeenkoms gedurende die eerste kwartaal van 2021 is die geleentheid vir deelnemers om die nuwe Volkswagen Amarok 190kw te ervaar. Deelnemers sal die nuwe bakkie vir die eerste keer kan toets en dit sal na verwagting 'n baie waardevolle toetsrit wees wat nie misgeloop moet word nie.

Alle bestaande besprekings sal geëer word. Ons neem die besprekingskedule vir 2020 soos dit is, en pas die groepdatums aan om in lyn te kom met die nuwe datums vir 2021. Ons sal alle deelnemers in kennis stel van die nuwe datum in Januarie 2021. Sou jy nie in staat wees om dit op te neem op hierdie datum nie, kan jy 'n alternatiewe datum aanvra wat jy, indien beskikbaar, na ‘n ander datum kan oordra.

Spirit of Africa-besprekings sal oop bly om nuwe besprekings op te neem vir die oop spasies wat nie vir 2020 gevul is nie.

Aangesien ons reeds betaal het vir die lokaal, klere en die BTW op alle depositos, is ons nie in staat om die inskrywingsgeld terug te betaal nie. Hierdie inskrywingsgeld sal na 2021 oorgeplaas word.

Weereens wil die Spirit of Africa alle deelnemers, wat vanjaar by die geleentheid ingeskryf het, bedank vir hul geduld, begrip en uithouvermoë, terwyl hulle wag op die begin van die 2020 kompetisie.