Talent undiscovered..
The East African Safari Rally of the late 1960s and early 1970s is the one that I came to know the best. It also produced so many new and unknown rally drivers. I mean the real but unofficial ones, the unrecognised self-sponsored copycat drivers who came into their being every time the rally was taking place. There was a great deal of over-speeding, hair-raising turns and fast get-aways from traffic lights with screeching tyres when the rally was in one’s town. Young African boys called every Sikh ‘Joginda Singha’ while equally well known drivers like Jamil Din and Shekhar Mehta received loud applause when the African supporters read their Uganda number plates on their cars. I am sure many a young lad sat in their roadside wreck (resulting from accidents and rejected vehicles and old cars awaiting repairs for decades) and drove them in their imagination at reckless speeds. Imagine the joy in those young minds when they were flying in their imaginary Datsuns and Peugeots.
The best car in the African mind was the Japanese Datsun, popularised by Joginder Singh and which became a top level brand that inexplicably disappeared. Perhaps the purchasing power of African markets did not count for much. Were there any other reasons why the Datsuns appealed so much to the Africans? Had Japanese reliability scored highly over loyalty to the British.
Those were the days … during the wet Easter holidays when the Safari Rally, then considered the toughest in the world and probably the richest and best managed with a route that went through three EA countries. No one came to know about any behind-the-scenes wrangling, if indeed there was any, but the Safari was able to show how Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania could work effectively to run a major internationally respected event. ‘Ah but, the management was in the hands of the muzungus,’ I can almost hear someone say. It does not matter whether the white man was managing the event itself; no safari could have taken place if the three countries had not committed themselves to a policy of cooperation to host this celebrated event. The political will which made the Safari possible was exemplary. The fact that border crossings and movements of teams was allowed on trust was truly amazing.
There were also those famous rivalries; between motor car manufacturers who were producing vehicles thousands of miles away for major markets but saw the Safari as a viable proving ground for their new models. They also tested their future models. The safari tested the technology which was expected to dominate their marketing campaigns in Europe, Japan and the Americas as they fought for consumer and corporate budgets. The other rivalry, which had dangerous overtones, was between well known drivers, some of whom were important enough to be able to switch cars and sponsors at their own choosing, or so they led you to believe. So if you were a Bert Shankland or a Joginder Singh, you could negotiate terms with manufacturers. But you had to win it at least once. The European drivers such as Erickson and Moss also came with high expectations and were determined to beat the locals. One of the best outcomes for the East African Asians was that relatively unknown local drivers, in early parts of their careers, were able to take part in a major international rally and enjoy some success. There were also good indications of emerging African drivers and crews who were staking their own claims as serious players. It is sad that the development of local talent was cut short as a great local sporting event came to a virtual stop. This is by no means to belittle the rally which still takes place in Kenya and feedback from readers is most welcome- especially with regards to the issues that I discuss here.
Sadly, I lost the personal and close contact with the Safari Rally after 1972. One also heard of reports that the international spread of the rally was being curtailed as collaboration between the East African countries started to break down. In fact, the Safari was a minor casualty in comparison with the breakdown of major collaborative arrangements which existed under the East African Community or economic union. The need for collaboration to run railways, airlines and heavy industry to reap economies of scale was the logical thing to do but trust had broken down during the Idi Amin era.
Returning to the social and economic impact of the Safari in the early days, the nostalgia is still gripping. The daily lives of people were dictated by arrival and departure times of the rally, not only in their own towns but also major regional towns. Media coverage was good enough with the radio being the dominant source of update. The newspapers provided excellent daily reports. Television started to cover the event during the late ‘60s. The rivalries between manufacturers was not analysed in the media competition between countries was immense. The British Ford and Triumph models competed fiercely with German cars, primarily Mercedes and Volkswagen. France was a strong contender with Peugeot making a strong impact on the market; a fact which translated into sales of hundreds of taxis. The luxury car market was dominated by Mercedes and one or two years the ‘Benzi’ did rather well. Of course, the entire competitive position greatly changed as the Japanese made progress in challenging European domination. In some years there were other new entrants with novelty interest. The most memorable were the ‘Comets’ from America, which tried to challenge the dominating players. However, they were not successful and soon bowed out. These were the cases where the experienced drivers risked their chances of winning the Safari Rally but they made sure that they won enough money from eager sponsors and manufacturers before the Rally even left the starting ramp.
The logistics that supported each team were phenomenal. I had the chance to look into one team and found the management of the support teams very professional and exciting. I still have memories of team captains huddling over their radios to keep in touch with navigators in each of their cars. Team captains and their crews were so persistent and patient – an excellent lesson in practical management.
Some of the key questions which were never addressed were:
- What did the major manufacturers achieve in terms of boosting the international marketing of their vehicles? There were major markets in West and Southern Africa. Competition in European markets must have been very significant. Interest in South American and Far Eastern markets must also have been extensive. However, it appears that there was no publicly available analysis of marketing campaigns and their commercial success that could be attributed to the Safari. Most of the dedicated analysis was high level and confidential marketing data. It just happened that when I later worked for Ford Motor Company in their head office in the UK, I saw some exciting pictures of the Safari. But the company was by no means gripped by the Safari and it appeared that Ford was more interested in translating the success of their rally cars to capture a greater share of the African market. The margin of comfort which came with colonial rule soon disappeared- African governments and local authorities made their own procurement decisions and buying British was no longer guaranteed.
- What was the economic benefit of the rally for the East African host countries? How much ‘new money’ did the rally bring into the African economies every year? How did the usual beneficiaries of popular sporting events the hotel and tourism markets share the greater spend during the upsurge of visitors during the Easter vacations? Media interest was very significant with newspaper advertising showing a significant increase during and after the event. It will be never known how the economic impact of the Safari would have translated into real jobs in the East African countries but it does appear that potential benefits of the Safari Rally as a major business and economic catalyst were not maximised by the participating countries and the respective tourism industries. However, any information which contradicts this view is eagerly awaited.
- Was the rally really ‘owned’ by East African countries? Or, was it just a play ground for the rich Europeans? There are two ways of looking at this. Did the rally organisers and sponsors invest time and effort in building relationships with governments? On the other hand, did the governments and local authorities make special efforts to support the rally and encourage it to develop stronger roots in their respective territories? Again, not much is known but any anecdotal feedback from readers would be most interesting. A couple of years ago I managed a support team for a London based local authority when the Tour de France international cycle race first came to London. It took several weeks of planning and coordination to support the Tour de France riders who passed through the borough for less than ten minutes… but it drew thousands of spectators. Road closures were pre-planned and details were announced much in advance to help residents and businesses to workout alternative routes for essential travel. Densely populated and busy inner city areas demanded meticulous planning. How were ambulances going to rush patients to hospital when certain key roads were closed? What was the impact on fire and social services? Some roads were closed from 6am onwards but the Tour passed through our region on a Saturday leaving no concerns about how children were going to get to school.
Returning to current Rally that has replaced the Safari, some of the above planning issues also apply. The urban and semi-urban areas of Kenya have expanded and population has grown very fast. It is probably much more difficult to manage the logistics. But it is the management of relationships that will have become even more critical. Are Kenyans looking into the economic and tourism benefits of the rally? Does it cause a surge in their tourism revenues? Could the rally ever return to its previous glory as an East African landmark event? The most critical requirement is that the simplest one – ‘ordinary’ Africans must be engaged and take pride in the ownership of the rally. Communities and schools must also be involved. It would be good to know how the organisers of the rally are addressing some of the key points listed above. Is the new motor rally elitist just as the old Safari sometimes appeared to be?
There were reports about stone throwing and sabotage of rally cars in the 60s and the 70s. It also seemed that Safari cars that were passing through rural areas were met with dangerous hazards- items placed on the roadways by children or thieves. Apart from the odd ‘naughty’ children throwing stones for a bit of fun, was there any evidence that grownups also had serious problems with the Safari cars passing through their quiet neighbourhoods at great speeds? Where there were any serious tensions, were they an indication of poor people resisting the fun and games of the rich?
These are possibly some of the challenges which cannot be taken lightly but the fact that the Rally continues to attract international interest and media coverage deserves credit and international support for the rally. Will the ‘wahindi ya kwanza’ that is, yesterday’s East African Asians begin to see the new rally as a bridge to nostalgia and make a return to supporting a premier sporting event in East Africa? There is a huge network of business and social importance waiting to be developed. East African Asians who left the three countries from the late 1960’s and onwards have growing and disposable savings. How are they going to be ‘lured’ back to Kenya for the Easter vacations? The rally must be seen as a bridge but not only to nostalgia but also to help secure new ties and relationships which will benefit the newer communities in Kenya. Any proposals on how this can be achieved are most welcome.
Commercial confidentiality will still preclude the availability of data as far as the marketing benefit of motor rallying is concerned. However, it does appear that European media coverage of the new rally has been declining, judging from lack of access to information. However, there are more significant challenges to consider. Has the rally been attracting credible African drivers with generous sponsorship?
Has the rally entered the classroom? What could be more interesting for learning maths and statistics for secondary school students than monitoring and tracking performance of drivers, teams and manufacturers? Have the universities seen the value of business case studies based on the rally? Has the rally become a charity fundraiser where the less visible beneficiaries could benefit from sponsorship?
Some of the members of the Sikh Community in Nairobi worked tirelessly to ensure that the Guru Nanak Motor Rally passed all proficiency and competence requirements to win the rating of a world class event. Has this been maintained? Other regional motor rallies also had potential. Taking all these issues together, it is clear that international media, especially television has a major role in helping to revive international interest. However, the onus is on sponsors, promoters and organisers to ensure that the media, which is always hungry for good stories, is able to connect effectively with the East African motor rallies.
The success of the Indian Premier League cricket and English Football shows that core ideas must be protected and developed. The momentum of motor rallying in East Africa is worth continuing – it could produce internationally recognised and world class events once again and generate economic, social and educational benefits.
The Wahindi can play a major role in supporting this ambition. Would they want to return to East Africa every year to make a contribution? Asian supporters of English FA football are already travelling with their clubs. There is something in the Safari for everyone. Why? While East African countries appear to have made major efforts to diversify their economies, the reliance on exports is still pervasive. The tourism industries have been successful in attracting tourists to the old and sometimes newer attractions. East Africa needs a new and powerful event which must also appeal to and be connected to the economies of the western producing countries. The cost of reviving the Safari needs to be worked out but once the re-launch has been successfully delivered, the cost of expansion could be funded from profits. There is a need for a dialogue between the current rally organisations, the three governments and potential sponsors. A feasibility study would be ideal and a fund of £25,000 would be sufficient depending on the terms of reference of the study. All we need is for 25 Asian businesses in the UK, US and Canada to donate £1000 each and nominate their chief executives to form a working group to plan the feasibility programme and to appoint local consultants. I am not going to be too upset if just one sponsor agrees to fund the lot.
Please send your comments to kalwant.ajimal@btinternet.com
