Riding Enduro in South Africa

South African riders are among the strongest in world hard enduro. At the 2026 Roof of Africa, Wade Young finished third and South African James Moore fifth, with Matthew Green between them in fourth (Cycle News). At Red Bull Romaniacs 2026, Moore was third and Green fourth.

Legal access is simple to explain. Off-road riding happens on private land with the owner's permission, at events, and on public roads. In the coastal area, national regulations limit vehicle use to a short list of permitted cases (see Regulations/Permits).

Sani Pass runs from near Himeville in KwaZulu-Natal up the Drakensberg escarpment toward Mokhotlong in Lesotho. The route climbs 1,332 m, from 1,544 m to 2,876 m, with gradients up to 1:3, and can be covered in snow and ice in winter.

KwaZulu-Natal and the Drakensberg

Wade Young was born in KwaZulu-Natal (Wikipedia). The province holds Sani Pass, the classic road route toward Lesotho's mountains.

The Lesotho border

For hard enduro, the big draw is next door. The Roof of Africa runs in Lesotho's Maloti Mountains. Read our Lesotho guide for the race, the terrain and the rules there.

Private land

Off-road riding away from public roads needs the landowner's permission.

Roof of Africa (Lesotho)

Wade Young has won the Roof nine times (Cycle News). In 2026 he finished third, a tenth of a second behind Manuel Lettenbichler. Matthew Green was fourth, and James Moore, the reigning champion, fifth after a 44-minute mechanical delay. Full details are on our Lesotho page.

South African events named in the Roof's entry rules

The Roof's entry rules for 14- and 15-year-olds refer to South African racing. Depending on class, young riders must be current National High School class competitors in the National Enduro/Hard Enduro Championship, and must have finished an Impi Hard Enduro and, for some classes, a National HESA Hard Enduro at the required level (Roof of Africa).

South Africans abroad in 2026

Event	Result
Red Bull Romaniacs	James Moore 3rd
Abestone Hard Enduro, Italy	James Moore 4th
Silver Kings, Idaho (amateur)	Damon Garrell 2nd overall
Roof of Africa	Wade Young 3rd, James Moore 5th

Sources: Romaniacs, Abestone, Silver Kings, Roof of Africa.

South African hard enduro has a national championship with a high-school class, plus events like the Impi Hard Enduro and the National HESA Hard Enduro, named in the Roof of Africa's entry rules.

Riders to follow:

• Wade Young. Nine Roof of Africa wins. Also winner of Hell's Gate in Italy (2016), Red Bull Romaniacs (2018) and Sea to Sky (2018) (Wikipedia).
• James Moore. Reigning Roof champion going into 2026, third at Red Bull Romaniacs 2026 and fourth at Abestone.
• Alfie Cox. Winner of the first Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble in 1995 (Erzberg winners).
• Matthew Green. Fourth at both Red Bull Romaniacs and the Roof of Africa in 2026.

The coastal area

South Africa's Control of Use of Vehicles in the Coastal Area regulations (GN R496 of 2014, under the Integrated Coastal Management Act 24 of 2008) restrict vehicles in the coastal area. Regulation 3 lists the uses allowed without a permit, including:

• use on a public road;
• use on private land by the owner, or with the written permission of the owner or lawful occupier;
• use on a road in a coastal protected area, with the management authority's written permission or under its management plan.

Other use needs a permit or exemption under the regulations. In practice, beaches and dunes are not riding areas.

Roads

The National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 governs road traffic across the country. Check that your bike and licence meet it before riding any public road.

Private land

Everywhere else, ride only with the owner's permission.

Crossing into Lesotho

For the Roof, you cross an international border. See the Lesotho guide.

Plan around the events:

When	What
Late September	Roof of Africa, Lesotho (24–26 September 2026)
Winter	Sani Pass can be covered in snow and ice

The Roof's 2026 dates were set in the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar, as round 6 (FIM).

Flying in. Airports Company South Africa runs O.R. Tambo International (Johannesburg), Cape Town International and King Shaka International (Durban), among others.

To the Roof. The 2026 Roof start and finish were planned for the Matsieng area, about 45 minutes from Maseru. The Roof requires every rider to bring at least one service crew member.

Sani Pass. The route starts near Himeville in KwaZulu-Natal and can be covered in snow and ice in winter.

• Keep off beaches and dunes. Vehicle use in the coastal area is limited to public roads, permitted private land and permits.
• Ask before you ride. Off-road riding is on private land, with permission.
• Build a crew for the Roof. One service person minimum, carrying fuel, drinks and food.
• Carry a GPS for the Roof. It is compulsory.
• Prepare properly. Our first-aid basics and arm pump guide help on long hard enduro days.

South Africa's hard enduro history is tied to the mountains next door. The Roof of Africa, which its organisers date to 1967, is where Wade Young built his record of nine wins.

Year	Milestone
1966	The Star newspaper sponsors the first Roof of Africa Rally climb over Sani Pass (Wikipedia)
1995	Alfie Cox wins the first Erzbergrodeo Hare Scramble
2016	Wade Young wins Hell's Gate, Italy
2018	Wade Young wins Red Bull Romaniacs and Sea to Sky
2026	Wade Young and James Moore in the Roof of Africa top five; Moore 3rd at Romaniacs

Sources: Erzberg winners, Wade Young, Cycle News.

• World-class riders. Nine-time Roof winner Wade Young and 2026 Romaniacs podium finisher James Moore.
• Youth racing. A National High School class in the national championship.
• Sani Pass, the mountain road from KwaZulu-Natal toward Lesotho's highlands.
• Clear coastal rules. Vehicle use in the coastal area is limited to listed cases.

Next step: the Lesotho guide and the Roof of Africa race page.