Driving a regularity car rally requires strategy, planning, tenacity, and patience – and you need to be fully equipped to do it properly. In fact, it’s a lot like wealth and investment management. It’s clear to see why Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth partnered with The Cape 1000 to bring South Africa’s most beautiful rally drive back to the Cape.
The Cape 1000 regularity car rally, first launched in 2022, is inspired by legendary tribute races from around the world, and participants compete in classic cars that were built before 1976, modern classics from between 1977 and 1996, as well as current sports models made post 1997. Among this year’s rare entries are a 1935 Bentley Derby Special, a 1958 Corvette Stingray SWC, a 1966 Sunbeam Tiger, and a 1973 Ferrari Dino. The four-day drive set off from the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on 10 March and makes its way through Swellendam, George, Oudtshoorn, and Hermanus before returning to the Waterfront on 15 March. While most of the route is devoted to grand touring, the event organisers focused rather intently on the regularity rallying or competitive driving aspect of the rally this year.
Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth ambassadors Michelle McLean and Buli Maliza are taking on The Cape 1000 challenge for the first time – driving a Bentley Continental GT. A Namibian-born business consultant who many may remember as Miss Universe, Michelle says the fact that a number of women are taking part in this year’s rally is evidence of the growing financial independence of South African women. “This is a really powerful platform for women to be recognised in their own right as financially independent and powerful,” she said. Buli is a producer and consultant in the arts space who is relishing taking on a challenge she has never tried before. “I’ve always been crazy about motor sports, and the invitation from Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth to take part in a rally is a dream come true,” she says. “By in participating in The Cape 1000, we’re pushing boundaries and breaking barriers – both those that are self-imposed and those created by society.” She is inspired by the words of iconic Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu, who says her life changed when she realised she was good at painting. “More of us women need to know what we are strong at and what we are passionate about,” says Buli. In this spirit, Buli and Michelle started off by sharing the roles of driver and navigator, saying they will soon realise who is more suited to which role as the race progresses.
Sarette van den Heever, wealth director at Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth, says more women are beginning to actively manage their personal wealth, with a specific focus on transferring it to future generations. Just as we are witnessing an increase in women collecting classic cars and taking part in events such as The Cape 1000, so more women are financially independent and having a say in the management of their family’s intergenerational wealth. “As entrepreneurs building their own wealth and legacies, Michelle and Buli embody the spirit of a new generation of women who we at Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth are partnering with. We can play a significant role in helping them build and preserve their wealth and ultimately leave a lasting legacy,” says Sarette.