WRC Safari Rally pumps life into Naivasha businesses

The global economy continues to be defined by the COVID-19 pandemic.

And with the war in Ukraine worsening, businesses in Kenya have been low, especially for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

But now, lodging and hotel owners in Naivasha and even the hawkers continue to savour great financial success from WRC Safari Rally Kenya which concluded last weekend.

According to KTB CEO, Betty Radier, the Safari Rally has brought with it tidings to the hospitality sector as well as other knock-on effects in other sectors such as transportation.

"Hoteliers have reported overbooking way before the rally period, we are happy to note that new hotels have just opened doors because of the rally," says Radier.

She added that tourism attractions within the Naivasha region and other areas have also benefited from visitation by international rally participants who take time for a Safari tour after the championship. 

WRC Safari Rally Chief Executive and the Kenya Motorsport Sports Federation (KMSF) chairman, Phineas Kimathi, said apart from the projected Sh6 billion the event is expected to pump into the economy, the country has also received priceless marketing across the world. 

“More than 850 million viewers keep abreast of the hybrid-powered rally action. Kenya reaped over Sh6 billion for the two weeks or more the top drivers and their manufacturing teams were in the country,” Kimathi said. 

"You very well know that Covid brought a lot of challenges: the rally is about investing money, so I'm sure many companies will have recovered fully and will be back to support more Kenyan competitors as opposed to having 44 entries. I'm expecting to have 55-60 maybe, once they recover from the post- Covid economic downturn," he expounded.

Infrastructure Boost 

Sporting events only happen for a few days. Once done and dusted and the television cameras and visitors depart, infrastructure remains.

Hosting of events of WRC Safari Rally calibre is a source of direct investments as well as a source of additional income for tourism.

The direct investments in Naivasha this weekend were accrued from hotels, leisure, fuel consumption, transport facilities, temporary employment and so much more.

Many hotels are still under construction in Naivasha at the present as investors target more domestic and international tourists after the world governing body, FIA, extended the hosting of the WRC status event in Kenya to 2026.

The benefits of hosting the rally include the booming hotel business and the recarpeting of Moi South Lake Road, a state-of-the-art asphalt service park at Wildlife Research and Training Institute which is the biggest on the WRC circuit. Residents also stand to benefit from the timely upgrade of Naivasha Level 5 Hospital. 

From the time the World Rally Team’s containers arrived at the Mai Mahiu Dry Port, the Tourism Regulatory Authority has taken the time to evaluate the economic impact of the iconic event on the Kenyan economy and will soon come out with a survey on the same, sources reveal.

Mai Mahiu Dry Port

Once described as a dusty border town of Naivasha, Mai Mahiu trading centre has now turned into a business hub.

From once hosting truck drivers and sex workers, the town, located 30kms from Naivasha town is now home to Inland Container Depot, SGR terminus and the multi-billion shilling industrial park. 

Roadside Partying

Roadside parting, night-long mobility, organized tented parties, accessibility to rally routes, traffic jams, as well as multiple music concerts like WRC Koroga Festival along Moi South Lake Road, didn’t just transform “Vasha” into a 24-hour economy. Hawking, sale of alcoholic drinks on car boots, fuel and food sales were the order of the day.

So, there is no gainsaying that Safari’s return to the elite racing world has acted as a spur to the long-held heritage that started way back in 1953.

Hotels in Naivasha recorded another sellout. And the mushrooming hotel infrastructure, like the newly built Blooming Resort on Moi South Lake Road, is a clear indication of the impact the Safari has had on domestic tourism.

Safari is currently the most followed event on the WRC calendar alongside a 1000 Lakes of Finland and Monte Carlo.

The post-event Promoter Report ranked the iconic motor rally fixture as the most followed ever on Facebook with a massive 31.8 million views witnessed across the globe.

This was way above last year’s Rally Italia Sardegna, which accumulated 16.8 million views and 18.6 million views in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

WRC Safari Rally CEO Phineas Kimathi offered: “Once again, Safari performed exceptionally well on all social media platforms, linear TV and in major traditional media outlets. The Safari Rally is one of the flagship projects of His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of the Republic of Kenya, who played a key role in its return in 2021, after a 19-year hiatus; a promise that he pledged in 2013, and kept.”

Legacy Projects

In keeping with Kenya’s intent to lead and deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), GOK through the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage have developed two legacy projects to secure environmental sustainability and improve the conditions of our host institutions and host counties.

“These legacy projects are anchored on two themes: Environmental Conservation and Action for Road Safety. The Environmental Conservation Project targets Kenya’s wetlands affected by climate change, deforestation, Safari Rally and Kenya Motor Sports Federation routes, the service park and the spectator stage at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, with a target of planting 18 million trees in three years.

The project is already nearing the 3 million, mark thanks to the dedication to combating the adverse effects of climate change and especially deforestation,” said Sports Cabinet Secretary Amb. (Dr) Amina Mohamed.