First and foremost: this is no racist article—so far from it. I am just astonished at the creativity, positivity and conviviality of some white people in South Africa. Amidst the ugly politicking, the bad governance and the poor service delivery, some white people are still able not only to remain positive, but to organise or support events that can make South Africa and the lives of its citizens significantly much better.

It really amazes me how a white man can take a simple idea or fancy or passion and turn it into a national sensation, with often remarkable results: and this not to enrich themselves personally or to become famous, but for purely humanitarian and patriotic purposes. The love for people and country blazing in such hearts cannot be denied or gainsaid by any objective, reasonable man. In the course of my short experience in writing I have seen quite a few of such all too praiseworthy events.

Take the Nuts & Bolts Rally, for example: One man loves buying old vintage cars and repairing them. After that he would drive the car for a long trip to test it, to discover all its powers and weaknesses. This is his passion. Then all of a sudden he asks himself: ‘But why do this alone? Why not invite others with the same passion to join me, so that in case there’s a break-down or a punctured tyre in the middle of nowhere I wouldn’t be alone, I’d have people to help and keep me company. That way it’ll be more fun’.

That is how the Nuts & Bolts Rally was founded. That was back in 2014, and the name of the man is Pieter Anderson. For 10years now the Nuts & Bolts Rally has been pulling hundreds of classic car lovers and road trip enthusiasts around the country to go on epic tours. Every year these ‘Petrol Heads’ go on four ‘Epic Road Trips Around South Africa’. More amazingly, all the proceeds from the tours are used to support causes of charity.

According to Pieter Anderson, the tours are a metaphor for the experiences charities face. Charity organisations often face difficulties, unpredictability and uncertainty in their projects. And these are the exact same things the drivers experience on the long, bumpy roads; uncertain whether their old rusty engines will run till the end, whether their tyres would survive the gravel roads, and whether their tanks have enough fuel to make it to the next feeling station. So just as it is the goal of every driver to make it through the difficult challenges from the starting to the finishing point, so too is the main goal of the Nuts & Bolts Rally to make sure that every charity organisation they have selected to help makes it through their unique challenges till the end. The United Cerebral Palsy Association of South Africa, for example, and the Smile Foundation, are two of the most popular charity organisations which the Nuts & Bolts Rally are patronising. That is why their participants are nick-named ‘Golden-Hearted Petrol Heads’.

This week the Garden Route Rally took place, from 18-21 March 2026. Willowmore is their main host, in partnership with Revive Willowmore. On 17 March about 50 classic pre-1990 cars arrived in Willowmore. They converged at the show grounds for the drivers to ‘meet and greet’. There they enjoyed some scrumptious braai and had a lovely time in each other’s company. The tables were decorated suitably with rusty-old engine parts. The excitement building up ahead of the trip was great.

On 18 March the ’epic road trip began’. The traffic patrol vehicles led the convoy through the town until they were out of Willowmore. The streets were lined by smiling and waving spectators. The cars all had old but fascinating designs, and each was stunningly decorated. Their drivers too, had on crazy costumes and hairstyles, with colourful eye-glasses and funny makeups; which all added to the general beauty of the event. In the evening they returned to spend the night again in Willowmore. All the guest houses and especially the Royal Hotel were fully booked. The happy spirits, cheerfulness and uncommon vivacity of the drivers brought Willowmore to life.

The 19^th^ was the same, and today morning, 20 March, I met and spoke with 2 times winners of the Rally: Shane Holder, Andrew Green-Wood, and Oom Heyes. This was at Piete Viljoen’s garage, directly opposite Kapoet Restaurant on the main street. Andrew and Shane explained to me in much detail most of what has already been said.

They said the Rally ‘is actually all about test-driving cheap old cars from place to place. If a car breaks down on the road, everyone stops to either assist or wait until the broken car can get back on the road. And all the money we generate goes to charity and schools. Every driver is provided with a ‘Goody bag’. And when we arrive in every town we buy gifts and put them in the bags, then donate them to certain groups in the town as charity. We’ve donated ‘Goody bags’ to 2 charities and have spent a lot of money in Willowmore’.

Shane then added that the cut-off number of participants is 100. That some cars have 1, some have 2, and others have 3drivers—at most. When asked how the winner is chosen; if it is on account of speed or age or likeability of the car, he answered and said: ‘It’s not a race. In fact we don’t bother about speed. We just want to drive safely from one place to the other. And it’s certainly not about age, but likeability. In the end everyone casts a vote on which car they like best’.

‘So your car was the most liked twice. It must be a very special car?’ I asked.

‘Yes it is’, he answered and, showing the car to me, said, ‘it’s a 1982 Mercedes 280 SE Limousine’.

At his trophy-winning Limousine Shane told me also that there are altogether 4 different Rallies every year. Besides this Garden Route one there is the Nuts & Bolts Northern Route Rally coming up from 9-12 September, then the Southern Route one from 23-26 September, and then the West coast one from 7-10 October. He also mentioned that Pieter Anderson, the Rally’s founder, lives and works in the UK, but he flies in each time there’s a Rally.

What is even more marvellous about all this is the willingness with which white people are ever ready to sympathise with and support each other’s passions—a profound lesson which, I believe, the rest of mankind can benefit greatly from.