Rust de Winter 4x4 Jamboree marked the 29th successive event in partnership with SA’s largest manufacturer, Toyota

• 135 vehicles entered in total
• 54 of these were Toyotas
• 41^st edition of the event
• 29^thsuccessive event in partnership with Toyota

The 2022 edition of the Rust de Winter 4x4 Jamboree marked the 29^th successive event in partnership with SA’s largest manufacturer, Toyota. The now famous family event and highlight on the off-road calendar returned for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and saw 135 participants along with their families and friends arrive at the Rust de Winter campsite to compete in the 2-day Jamboree.

Toyota SA’s General Manager for Marketing Communications, Lettie Labuschagne, who attended the event with her family, pointed out that Toyota is by far the best-represented brand at the event. “It is always great to interact with our customers and to experience the loyalty that many of them have towards our brand,” said Labuschagne. She also added that the partnership they have with the organising 4x4 ATV Club of South Africa is a perfect fit for Toyota. “We are the overall market leaders, but we are especially proud of our 4x4 range and how they perform on the sales charts each month, and one only needs to cast an eye over the campsite at Rust de Winter to see how that translates into the real world.”

As was the case for the past 40 years, the 2022 Jamboree consisted of a tough route stretching over roughly 30 kilometres in the nearby mountains, as well as a spectator-friendly and compact gymkhana which once again featured ten different obstacles. This year, participants had to master the gymkhana first before tackling the mountain on the second day. The area is known for its natural beauty, but the participants had no time to admire the scenery as the obstacles along the daunting route required their full attention. Toyota South Africa Motors also fielded a fleet of standard Hilux double cabs and Fortuners, driven by a variety of specialist journalists and motoring scribes from both print and electronic media. The exercise succeeded in showcasing the excellent 4x4 and off-road capabilities of the Hilux and Fortuner under extreme off-road conditions. 

After most of the 135 entries successfully survived the 10 challenges of the gymkhana, the attention shifted to the mountain route which had to be conquered, often with an added challenge or task for the co-driver thrown into the mix as well. And although an overall winner is crowned at the end of the event, the emphasis was always on fun for the whole family.

When the points were added up, it was the husband and wife team of Philip and Alicia Volschenk who dominated the mountain route and scored enough points at the gymkhana to be crowned the overall 2022 Toyota Rust de Winter 4x4 Jamboree champions. The pair were also rewarded with the chance to compete in the Atlantis 4x4 Fun Day in the Western Cape later this year. Brendon Staniforth of Maroela Media was the highest placed media member.

“The event was once again a huge success,” said Labuschagne. “The organising club did a great job and we as a company will continue to support the event going forward.”

ENDS