SA Girls Academy Racers to Make Zwartkoponopolis 500 Grid Debut
- Pontsho Malebese and Zelda Verster are set to make their first competitive starts in a racing car at the Zwartkoponopolis 500
- Both young women entered motorsport through the Motorsport Girls Academy Camp, which gave them access to the sport for the first time
- Champions Fabienne Lanz and Elke van Vledder are racing alongside the two newcomers, bringing experience and mentorship to the team
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Source: UGC
Two South African women are about to make their competitive car racing debuts, and the moment has been years in the making.
Pontsho Malebese and Zelda Verster will take to the grid at the Zwartkoponopolis 500 at Zwartkops Raceway this weekend, joining seasoned racers Fabienne Lanz and Elke van Vledder as part of a four-woman team that spans very different stages of the motorsport journey.
From camp to the grid
Pontsho’s introduction to the sport came through the Motorsport Girls Academy Camp Edition 1 in 2023. At the time, she had little to no exposure to motorsport. She went on to compete in karting, built experience working within a racing team, and steadily grew her confidence in the sport over the following years.
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Zelda’s path into motorsport has been more recent. She joined Girls Camp in July and quickly became part of the Zwartkops Raceway community, contributing behind the scenes while learning how a racing environment operates.
This weekend marks the moment both women move from preparation to competition, taking their first starts in a racing car at a competitive level.
Source: UGC
Four generations of experience
Fabienne Lanz, a motorsport champion and vocal advocate for women in the sport, will race alongside the two newcomers. Her presence on the team is intentional. For Lanz, the Zwartkoponopolis 500 is about more than the result. It is about seeing transformation through to its logical conclusion: the starting grid, according to information shared with Briefly News.
Elke van Vledder, another experienced competitor, rounds out the team. Her years of racing provide the kind of grounding that only competitive experience can offer.
Together, the four women represent different points along the same pathway, from discovering motorsport for the first time, to learning the environment, to building a competitive record, to championing the next generation.
The Motorsport Girls Academy Camp has positioned itself as the entry point for women seeking a foothold in a sport that has historically been difficult to access. What Pontsho and Zelda’s stories illustrate is what sustained support and mentorship can produce once that door is opened.
More about women in the motoring industry
- Johannesburg-born Stacey-Lee May discovered spinning as a bullied teenager and turned it into a 12-year career.
- Emma-Rose Dowling is a 15-year-old motorsport driver from South Africa who has been racing since she was nine.
- An 18-year-old Parklands College matric learner received her first race car from her parents for her birthday, kickstarting her career in racing.
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Source: Briefly News
