The Africa Rally 2026 Celebrates Record-Breaking Year with Malawi at its Heart

Malawi once again played a central role in The Africa Rally in 2026, welcoming teams from around the world as they reached the halfway point of their three-week adventure across Southern and East Africa. With the official Half Way Party taking place on the shores of Lake Malawi at Wheelhouse Marina in Senga Bay, the country provided one of the major meeting points of the entire Rally before teams continued on two different routes across the continent.

The 2026 Africa Rally proved to be a record-breaking event in several ways, with every team that crossed the start line also reaching a finish line, although not necessarily in the same vehicles they started with! Collectively, participants raised around R1.2 million for 22 different causes spanning wildlife protection, education, health and community projects. View the full list of causes and fundraising here.

Malawi at the Halfway Point

After setting out from Hartbeespoort in South Africa, teams travelled north through Botswana and Zambia before entering Malawi and making their way towards Lake Malawi.

On Tuesday 14 July, teams came together at Wheelhouse Marina in Senga Bay for the official Half Way Party, marking one of the biggest gatherings of the entire Rally. Located directly on the shores of Lake Malawi, the venue gave participants an opportunity to regroup, share stories from the road and celebrate reaching the halfway stage of the adventure.

Senga Bay was also a significant point in the 2026 route because it was here that the Rally divided. The Challenger Route continued north through Malawi towards Tanzania, while teams taking the Discovery Route headed south towards Mozambique and ultimately Eswatini.

Malawi therefore formed an important part of the experience for every participant, with Lake Malawi itself among the headline attractions promoted as part of the Rally. The organisers also continued to work with tourism businesses along the route, including a number of Malawian accommodation providers such as Barefoot Lodge, Rafiki Safari Camp, Kande Beach, La Rondavelle and Zomba Forest Lodge.

Record-Breaking Results

The winning team on the Challenger Route was Team Big Yellow Taxi from the UK, who completed the Rally in a bright yellow London taxi, the first vehicle of its kind to complete The Africa Rally.

The Discovery Route was won by Team Lekker Legends from the USA, travelling in a Land Rover Defender 110.

There was also a special achievement for Team Fish Out of Water, winners of the Rally’s Golden Pineapple Award. The team completed more than 6,000km across Africa on two 150cc Big Boy scooters, earning the distinction of completing The Africa Rally in the lowest-powered vehicles to date.

After leaving Malawi, teams continued towards their respective finish lines, with the Challenger Route ending at Firefly in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, and the Discovery Route finishing in Malkerns, Eswatini.

Supporting Communities Along the Way

Beyond the adventure itself, fundraising and supporting communities across the route remain an important part of The Africa Rally. In 2026, teams supported 22 different causes, while the Rally’s approach also aims to ensure that money generated by the event reaches local businesses in the countries through which teams travel.

This is particularly evident in Malawi, where the Rally works with locally based accommodation and hospitality businesses as participants travel through the country. From the approaches to Lilongwe and Senga Bay to the Lake Malawi shoreline and routes towards Tanzania and Mozambique, the event helps introduce international travellers to destinations and tourism businesses across Malawi.

The country will remain an important part of the adventure in 2027. Both routes are once again set to travel through Malawi, with teams meeting at Senga Bay before separating for the second half of the Rally. The 2027 Half Way Party is scheduled for Tuesday 13 July, once again placing Lake Malawi at the heart of the event.

As always, The Africa Rally invites adventurers to get involved, whether by entering a team, supporting one of its causes, or following the journey on Instagram and Facebook.

With Malawi once again providing one of the defining stops on the route, the Warm Heart of Africa looks set to continue playing an important role in one of the continent’s most unusual road-trip adventures.