+268 MCC puts Mbabane on biker map

The sound of roaring engines, live music and excited crowds took over The Prince of Wales Sports Ground this past weekend as the first-ev­er +268 MCC Biker Rally brought a new kind of excitement to Mba­bane. Held from September 18–20, in partnership with the Municipal Council of Mbabane, the inaugural three-day rally brought together bikers, motorcycle clubs, specta­tors and families for a weekend packed with bikes, entertainment, games, food, stalls and camping.

For +268 MCC, the response was a strong indication that the rally has found a place on the city’s events calendar. According to the club’s Public Relations Officer, Thulani Mtetwa, more than 350 people attended the inaugural event, with approximately 80 per cent being bikers and motorcycle club members.

He described the first edition as ‘phenomenal’, particularly because it was the first rally of its kind hosted by the club. “We man­aged to bring bikers from as far as Limpopo in South Africa and the support received from local motorcycle clubs cannot go un­mentioned,” said Mtetwa.

BRINGING A NEW EXPERIENCE TO MBABANE

The idea behind the rally was to introduce a dedicated biker event to the Hhohho Region, while giv­ing local and visiting bikers a different experience of Eswatini.

Before the +268 MCC Rally, the country had two official biker rallies, both hosted in the Man­zini Re­gion. The club saw an opportu­nity to take the ex­perience to another part of the country and place Mbabane at the centre of a weekend dedicated to the biking community.

Mtetwa said the decision also aligned with the vision of making Mbabane an increasingly vibrant city. “The city of Mbabane is fast becoming the most vibrant city in the kingdom, and we are grateful that we could align the rally event with the CEO’s vi­sion,” he said.

EDITION

For the or­ganisers, the first edition was not only about motor­cycles and en­tertainment. It was also about introducing the event to the public and creating a platform that could contribute to surround­ing communities and t h e wider economy.

A rally people want back, the response from those who attended appears to have given the organisers plenty of en­couragement. Mtetwa said attend­ees praised both the concept and how the event was executed, de­scribing the weekend as peaceful, entertaining and well organised. Perhaps the clearest indication of the rally’s recep­t i o n came from re­quests by attendees for the event to be held more than once a year. “A majority of the people who at­tended requested that we do the rally at least twice a year at the same venue,” said Mtetwa.

The organisers also used the event to establish rela­tionships with stakehold­ers for their cor­po­rate social in­vestment (CSI) pro­ject , which Mtetwa identified as another important objective of the rally.

ROOM TO GROW

While the first edi­tion was considered a success, the organisers are already looking at ways to make the next one bigger and better. Marketing is one area they intend to improve after some peo­ple told the organisers they were unaware that the event was taking place. “We intend to start our prepara­tions ear­ly next year . A number of people com­plained that they were not aware of the event, which means we need to improve on our marketing strat­egies,” said Mtetwa.

The timing of the rally is another issue that could be reviewed. The rainy weather around the event affected attendance, with some potential attendees deciding not to come after rain in the days leading up to the main event. Mtetwa said the organisers would, therefore, consider reviewing the date to reduce the un­certainty brought by the rainy sea­son.

MORE THAN JUST BIKES

For +268 MCC, the ral­ly is intended to become much more than an annual gathering of motorcycle enthu­siasts. The long-term vision is to establish an event that attracts bikers from across the region, gives residents a different enter­tainment experience and contrib­utes to the communities around Mbabane. “The +268 Biker’s Rally is indeed an annual event that will be here for generations to c o m e , ” said Mtetwa.

He said the organisers ulti­mately want the rally to con­tribute to the development of s u r ­rounding communities a n d the economy of Eswatini. With more than 350 people at­tending the first edition and bikers travelling from outside the country, the inaugural ral­ly has given +268 MCC a foundation on which to build.