One Final, One Goal – Odendaal Chases Third African Open Triumph
Three-time national champion and two-time African Open winner Caleb Odendaal returns to Zwartkops Kart Raceway this weekend for one of the most prestigious one-day events on the African karting calendar, the 2025 Rotax African Open.
The format stands apart from regular national rounds. Instead of three heats determining the final outcome, the African Open features two high-stakes qualifying heats that set the grid for a winner-takes-all final. It’s a single-day shootout, where nothing but a win will do, and the reward is massive: a coveted ticket to the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals in Bahrain, often dubbed the “Olympics of Karting.”
Hailing from East London in the Eastern Cape, Odendaal is already a veteran of international karting at just 13 years old. He’s twice flown the South African flag at the RMC Grand Finals, with a third appearance lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, representing Kart Republic Africa and backed by Legend Motors and Motorsport Fanatix™, he arrives in Pretoria aiming to secure his third African Open title.
“There's nothing quite like the African Open,” Caleb said. “It’s a pure, flat-out battle. No holding back, no saving points, just one final where everything is on the line. I’m excited and fully focused.”
The build-up begins with six crucial practice sessions on Thursday, followed by four more on Friday before late-afternoon qualifying sets the tone. Come Saturday, the gloves come off with two qualifying heats ahead of the all-or-nothing final that decides who books their ticket to Bahrain.
Despite an up-and-down national campaign, Caleb has shown flashes of brilliance, including pole position at the national opener in Cape Town and victory at the regional season opener in Benoni. His blend of aggression and control makes him one of the most feared names in the Junior MAX paddock, and when the stakes are highest, he often shines brightest.
The African Open is renowned for its fierce competition and dramatic finales. With Zwartkops’ unforgiving layout rewarding bravery under braking and inch-perfect racecraft, fans can expect fireworks. Caleb Odendaal will be gunning for nothing less than glory.
