Sun City, South Africa,  17 May 2025: Dakar star and celebrated motorsports rider Harith Noah is set to take part in the third round of the FIM World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) 2025, the inaugural South African Safari Rally, here from May 18 to 24. This is his first competitive return to rally raid events after an injury-led exit at the Dakar Rally, earlier this January. Noah registered for the Rally Raid World Championship for the first time but logged no points in the first round due to his exit and the injury kept him out for the next round at Abu Dhabi.

Noah, part of the Sherco TVS Rally Factory, had a crash during Prologue at Dakar 2025. He fractured his wrist forced him to go for immediate surgery. Now, just four months later, he’s looking forward to tackling the unforgiving South African landscape and getting back in the mix for his 2025 campaign, and can still salvage a decent position with two more rounds to go.

“After Dakar, I needed time to recover from the injury, but everything went well and I’m back to full fitness now. This is my first race since the crash, so there are definitely some nerves, which is normal. But the South African Safari Rally is a new challenge for everyone, the route is unfamiliar territory across the board. The key is to stay calm, get used to the bike again, and take it one kilometre at a time,” said Harith Noah.

South African Safari Rally brings the W2RC to South Africa for the very first time, promising a groundbreaking addition to the championship and offering one of the most challenging, scenic, and diverse rally routes yet. With extreme terrains and rapidly changing climates, the Safari Rally is poised to become a standout fixture on the W2RC calendar.

The 2025 W2RC season features five rounds across three continents, pushing riders through a wide spectrum of terrains and conditions. The year kicked off with the legendary Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, followed by the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Now, the championship heads into uncharted territory with the debut of the South African Safari Rally. The final two rounds will take riders to Portugal for the BP Ultimate Rally Raid in September, before culminating with the iconic Rallye du Maroc in October.