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October 21, 2025 • 16 mins

Relebogile Mabotja speaks to  Liyema Letlaka the acting CEO of Southern African Endurance Series (SAES) about the evolving role of motorsports in South Africa. 

702 Afternoons with Relebogile Mabotja is broadcast live on Johannesburg based talk radio station 702 every weekday afternoon. Relebogile brings a lighter touch to some of the issues of the day as well as a mix of lifestyle topics and a peak into the worlds of entertainment and leisure. 

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Seven O two The Car Feature.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Twenty minutes two three o'clock time for the car feature.
We take your calls an audible ONEBA three oh seven
O two and the WhatsApp line Oh seven to seven
O two and seven O two. We are chatting the
evolving role of motor sport. We're joined by Liamlicaka, who
is acting CEO of Southern African Endurance Series in the studio. Welcome,

(00:27):
how are you doing?

Speaker 1 (00:28):
I'm great, thanks singer, I am doing well.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
So young ma'am the acting CEO. Girl, listen, I love
it for us. Tell us about your background that you
got into the space.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
Well, we grew up in the Eastern Cape. I grew
up in the Eastern Cap. My family moved to Joburg
when I was about ten years old. So when we moved,
actually one of my dad's friends' kids was part of
a cotton club in Swat Corps. So I used to
watch him raise and I was like, one day, Dad,
I actually think I want to do this. So he
was like, okay, I got you sure. I was like, yeah, no,

(01:04):
I'm sure. So that's how it all started, you know,
cutting and Swall Corps. My dad always loved Formula one
He's always loved anything with speed, So he was like, okay,
it makes sense I guess for you too, So got
me a cart.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
I went to the club I raised for a few
years naves.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
You mean when we were just cutting at a party
where not you got bought one? How Like we were
just like, okay, we're at stow Land, we can no
so you properly at that time, and you were how
old at that time?

Speaker 3 (01:36):
I was probably nine nine, I was probably at twelve. Yeah,
a good long time.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, And what exposure did your dad have to the
industry at the time, Because I know, if you have
a parent who sort of allows you to go in
that space, it's also a learning space for the parents.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yes, So I think for him at the time, all
he knew was just Formula one artists. But the more
we started hanging around and being around parents in the
cutting space, he's got to you got to learn more
and more and more about the sports in general and
what it can do for you, the opportunities, et cetera,

(02:14):
et cetera. So that's how it all started for me.
And then he eventually decided to also be a race
card driver. So he's actually yeah, so I think it's
something that we're both very passionate about and it's something
that we enjoyed doing.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Listen, I just love that. For you guys, what was
he doing prior to getting into it.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
Well, it is his hobby, but before that, he's always
had like his everyday job, that's what he did. He
still kept it so but he he loves it, like
that's one thing that he's truly passionate about.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
He believes in it, so he's very into it.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
So how do you go from cutting to now going
further where you're like, okay, I'm now in motor sport.

Speaker 3 (02:58):
So that's the gap that is a is also trying
to bridge. But there are programs and things that people
are doing. So you can go from karting into the
Rookie Cup, which is basically the Polo Cups or super
v and then that takes you into main circuit racing
as well. We do endurance racing, which is a different
type of racing. It's more it's not sprint racing. It's

(03:19):
long time racing, racing for like nine hours, four hours
in a team. So that's the bridge into main circuit
endurance racing.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
We're going to take a break and when we come back.
Your questions on Audible one, double A three or seven
O two the what's up line oh seven two, seven
oh two and seven oh two. Head over to our
YouTube channel and you'll be able to click on seven
oh two afternoons with Pillium Marble just so you can
see our guests in studio. And it's important representation matters.
We need young people in leadership roles and I look

(03:52):
forward to hearing from all of you.

Speaker 4 (03:54):
Seven o two Look features fourteen minutes two three A
Club will continue with the car feature as we chat
about the evolving role of motor sport with acting Sea
of Southern African Endurance Series le Ma Lekaga.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
Your calls with your questions Adible one, wa A three
or seven oh two in the WhatsApp line oh seven two,
seven oh two on seven oh two, Lemma you were
you were chatting about endurance and maybe share with us
what that looks like because I would imagine ensurance is
like the marathon of running. Right you're in the car,
but I'm trying to understand and maybe help us lay

(04:32):
people who ont in their space what's exciting about it?
Because when we when we go on a road trip
We're excited because came town some way. You're excited for
the destination. What is exciting because you guys, are you
not just going around the same lap? Ah gil heavery,
bring us into your world, Bring us into your world.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
It's actually quite exciting, I think.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
So we run a six round series, right, so kaya
Lami is always our finale, which is the nine hour,
which is the longest, right. So what's exciting about it
is racing is like supporting a soccer team that one
day plays batter. You're expecting them to play good, right,
so things that are unexpected happens, you know, like you

(05:16):
can come supporting a team and something happens to it,
can't they don't finish the race, you know, so there's
always things that had happened the race.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
Say, no backup car.

Speaker 3 (05:26):
No, The car that you qualify with on the day
before is the car that you have to race and
finish with and finish with. So you can't just pull
out another car like I carry your guard no. So yes,
that's so that's the exciting thing about it, you know,
like there's so many unexpected things that happen. You know.
It's also not the safest sport, so it's also like

(05:47):
an adriddaline rush.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
You're always on your toes.

Speaker 3 (05:49):
You always want to check if everything is still going
well with your favorite team, et cetera, et cetera. So yeah,
I think that's what's exciting. And we always bring like
a family element into it, like these things to do also,
you know, like you can come with your kids. We
always have a fun zone, a family zone, we always
have an adult zone, so you can always just take

(06:09):
a break and then come back again to it. So
we always try and incorporate things that will keep people
there entertained and still do what they come see what
they want to see.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
How do you know how well you're doing while you're
on an endurance race? Like do you not maybe lose
track with the excuse the pun or the going around
the track, or you might even think that the person
you know behind you you're ahead of them, but actually

(06:41):
they're a lap ahead of you. So how do you
know how well you're doing? Are the people talking to
you in your earpiece or your con set, so.

Speaker 3 (06:49):
Your team is normally talking to you and your headphone
and your headphones and your earpiece and underneath your helmet.
Most cars have tractors on their phone actually what we
have in our normal causes at dashboards, so they can
actually track and see how are they doing while they're
driving at the same time.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
I've asked many of them how do they do it?

Speaker 3 (07:10):
And also I have a short concentration spad, so it
actually just lose focus. But they always like you in it,
and it's a long it's a long time. You eventually
just know that this is what you have to do.
It's for your team. You're constantly locked in. You know,
you're going super fast in a very small, confined area,
so you're always on focused, so they get to see

(07:32):
how while they're doing as well.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
At the same time, what's super fast, especially for reference
those of you that have been arrested for speeding. What
is super fast on the track?

Speaker 3 (07:42):
I mean easily in a strait they can get up
to like to eighty easily if not more. Yes, and
remember the strait happens just before a quarters, so you
need to remember when to break, So yeah, they go
super fast, super.

Speaker 1 (07:55):
Fast, when to break, when to turn the sac who's
behind you to you?

Speaker 2 (08:01):
Yes? And how does it work with the teams in endurance,
because do you guys alternate to take turns and is
the team I think it's what two two of you?
Two or more two or more? So, like when do
you decide to change over? Is it like a set
time or you're like, yeah, I need the toilets, guys,

(08:22):
change time coming out?

Speaker 3 (08:24):
No, No, So most teams, it's all about strategy. That's
the other part behind it. You and your team sit
down and you guys come up with a strategy. So
normally you would think that the slowest person will go first,
it is the faster person.

Speaker 2 (08:37):
Like really, yeah, that's how you do? You want that
one at the end to be like yeah, so for.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
Four hour race, these two drivers because it's quite short, yes,
but for something like the nine hour, you can have
three people in a car and the strategy went to
pitch to change your tires and put in fuel.

Speaker 1 (08:54):
Is all up to how you guys have strategized.

Speaker 3 (08:56):
You guys can decide, hey, if you leading, just in
quickly and it's do it and let's switch drivers.

Speaker 2 (09:02):
Poor.

Speaker 3 (09:02):
If you're poor, your get your new tires and each
pit stop, surprisingly for a GT car is about a minute.

Speaker 1 (09:11):
That's also very quick. So it's all about strategy.

Speaker 2 (09:14):
I learned something so wonderful this year and I don't
know if you know this, but I learned that the
way that trauma patients arrive in a hospital was improved
because of Formula one. Don't remember what hospital it was,
but they couldn't figure out why it was that so
many babies and people were dying, and they went they

(09:37):
literally partnered with the formal Formula one top team, I
think it was in the Michael Schumacher era, and they
learned what happens at the pit top pit top in
that in those what six seconds, I think it is
a Formula one ten seconds, how it happens, who's positioned,
and they implemented every single one of those learnings. Even

(09:58):
now they do partner with the top teams still so
that they can improve on what they do in operating rooms.
And I was like, my mind was blown.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
That makes so much sense, right, because each person's role
is so important. You know, one person standing a step
back could at another second. So it makes so much sense.

Speaker 2 (10:16):
In terms of what you are seeing with more women
getting into the space, with more people from your underprivileged
communities getting into the space, are you seeing things improved?
Because motorsport would still look like a privileged people's sport.

Speaker 3 (10:34):
Technically, I just think that motorsport is an expensive sport
and without financial banking from private sectors, government, etc.

Speaker 1 (10:42):
It will always be an expensive sport.

Speaker 3 (10:44):
But that's what we're trying to bridge right now, as essays,
we want to find that talented child who probably didn't
even know that they could be in motorsport.

Speaker 1 (10:55):
We also have a foundation called ART.

Speaker 3 (10:57):
Which is Advocays Together and that promotes STEM kids, kids
that studied science, technology, mathematics, just to show them that
it's not about the two drivers only.

Speaker 1 (11:08):
There's a full team behind each driver and everything.

Speaker 3 (11:13):
So we were inspired by Red Bull taking a picture
with the two drivers and the three hundred people behind them,
and we're like, it takes so many people to make
these two people shine. So that's other ways that we're
trying to make sure we're spreading awareness, targeting those areas
and just being inclusive.

Speaker 2 (11:34):
Look at some of the messages on the whatsap line.
Chat from Jinnesburg, South says, how can I join a
motorsport school? Please? My calling in life is motorsport, is.

Speaker 4 (11:43):
What they say.

Speaker 3 (11:45):
They can email us and we'll get them into the
right places at fort Says dot com we'll get them
in the right spaces depending on the age, we can
get them into karting, into circuit racing, the actors and
the programs that are out there that can help them
be in circuit racing.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
Another one says, is there capacity within SAEs to develop
support and engineering skills or is the program only focused
on driver development. I have a developing motorsport engineer in
the household. He's studying a BSc motorsport engineer. I don't
even know there's a thing. There's degree with the British
National Motorsport Academy, but it is extremely difficult to get

(12:26):
support financial or otherwise from the SA motorsport industry. Everyone
clambes to sponsor the store, but not many look at
development of the store that's enton in Northcliffe and goes
on to say us the studies online.

Speaker 3 (12:39):
He is based in South Africa. Okay, that's great, that's great.
I think that goes back to the foundation that Africa
is together. That's exactly the kids and the people that
we're looking for. You know, we and our last races
Wild Corps, we had someone who studied mechanical engineer shadow
the mechanics.

Speaker 1 (12:58):
The whole weekend with us.

Speaker 3 (12:59):
So yeah, that's definitely the kind of people that were
looking for and the type of kids we want to
connect with and give them the platform.

Speaker 2 (13:08):
I am so glad that you're being open and honest
about it being an expensive sport. But I think with
the new generation of I consider myself the new generation
of parents, I think they're gonna be new ways. How
has technology in any way? Like you do this ensurance thing?
Are you? Does that automatically mean you're like amazing a

(13:29):
at like motorsport games, because I would assume I'm like
growing better. I want to pick you on my team.

Speaker 3 (13:36):
But are we gonna lose at our events? We have
race car simulators. Yes, we always give like such good
prizes for the person as the fastest lab. I think
for Kayalami, the last one we had for around four
we gave away ten thousand to the person at the
fastest lab.

Speaker 1 (13:53):
But then the fastest lab away, man, who are no?
It was actually what I would say, little boy. He
was twelve years old, but the van was upset because.

Speaker 3 (14:01):
He was lapping there. Every time someone came. I got
a better type than him. You're like, no, can I
go on again?

Speaker 2 (14:07):
No? But let's be honest, who would compete with the
twelve year old boy? You know, that's what he does, Like,
that's his job. Basically, do these simulators really help you
do the thing or would you share to say, Actually,
the amount of theory that you had to study also
helped with with what you do.

Speaker 3 (14:29):
While they men make exactly how a race cast seat
and steering wheel, breaks, clutch, everything feel like. So I
was actually shocked about the twelve year old boy because
it actually takes a lot of power to.

Speaker 1 (14:40):
Turn the steering wheel itself.

Speaker 3 (14:42):
So yeah, I mean there's also virtual racing that people do,
which is also a recent thing that we just figured
out that people do virtual racing, So I think that, yeah,
there is an element of it, but not quite.

Speaker 2 (14:56):
I still have to get the real thing. When you
actually grew up and got your driver's license, did it
feel weird now getting on the road driving like a
normal person when you spend so much time being in
you know, racing, Yeah it did.

Speaker 3 (15:11):
Also I could drive before I actually could drive legally,
so it was also that was the problem as well,
because you always think I can just get into a
car driver, but no, not really. Yeah, you get scared,
You get scared it's a completely different experience.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
Yes, because now you're like, why is no one moving?
Why is the slow calm the fast layer road rage?
Thank you so so much for coming through to chat
to us, To everybody who wants to get in touch.
The website is s a E Series dot com. That's
SAE series dot com. You can head over and contact

(15:47):
there so that you can get all of the information.
The two people who contacted the producer will give the
contact details to our guest Lemma so that they can
assist and support. So don't worry to the parent who
sends through the message. I guys, we learn everything today.
So today I learned that there's a BAC Motorsport Engineering

(16:10):
degree with the British National Motorsport Academy. I share, I
love radio
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