MBABANE – Swazi Rally has fulfilled its promise and delivered the bike to this year’s winner.
South African woman Tshepi Phoku won the Suzuki GSX-S 1000 GX motorcycle at this year’s Swazi Rally. This year’s event featured a tense draw, where the first three numbers announced on the microphone did not immediately appear on the stage. Phoku’s number was called out shortly after and she was declared the winner.
Speaking to this publication, she expressed her surprise and joy at her victory. “I came all the way from Witbank with my husband. He was riding and I tagged along to experience the rally. I am happy to have won the bike; words cannot really show how grateful I am. I want to thank the Swazi Rally team for giving me such a golden opportunity, which will forever live in my memories,” she said.
When asked about her profession, Phoku revealed she is a stay-at-home wife. Last year’s grand prize winner was Dirce Matsinhe from Mozambique, who took home a Suzuki 1037cc motorcycle valued at E265 000. Matsinhe secured her win during a raffle draw held at the event, which took place at Riders Ranch.
Phoku confirmed to this publication last week that the bike has arrived and is registered. “The bike arrived on October 16,” she said.
This year’s Swazi Rally attracted a larger crowd with more attendees travelling from countries including Cameroon, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa, among others. On the main day, Saturday, the venue was filled with energy as riders filled the space with excitement and enthusiasm.
The bike is courtesy of the rally’s proud sponsor Xtreme Trading, a company based in Matsapha. Xtreme Trading Proprietary Limited is owned and managed by Barbara Paiva and Sonia Paiva. With 35 years combined experience in the Motorcycle Power Product Construction fields, they are experienced business women of repute in Matsapha and have created successful and viable businesses throughout the Kingdom of Eswatini.
The company focuses on supplying and servicing motorcycles, agricultural equipment, motor vehicle spares, small construction equipment and power products. Their vision is to be the largest female-led motorcycle retailer and power product centre in Eswatini, while their mission is to exceed customer expectations through providing exceptional service by consistently training and upskilling employees to ensure the best results at all times.
It is common for women to win a motorcycle as a grand prize in raffles or giveaways associated with large motorcycle events or rallies, rather than winning a competitive race where a bike is the prize. One specific example is a woman named Dena, who won the grand prize Harley-Davidson at the Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally. Another example involves Ashley Barber who was the first female winner of the O’Connor and Partners St. Jude’s giveaway at a related event, winning a 2023 Harley-Davidson Breakout 117.
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