Online Reporter
Collin Matiza
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE spotlight will once again fall on Zimbabwe’s motocross champion rider Emmanuel Bako when he plunges into his first major international event of the year this weekend.
Bako (25) is set to race in the inaugural SA Supercross Series, whose Round 1 will be held at Terra Topia just outside Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday.
SA Supercross is South Africa’s first-ever Supercross series, delivering world-class racing, high-energy entertainment, and a historic moment for that country’s local motorsport as they bring international-level adrenaline to African soil.
It is, in fact, Africa’s first Supercross series!
Supercross is a thrilling, high-intensity indoor or stadium-based motorcycle racing sport that features dirt bikes tackling short, technical tracks with steep jumps, tight turns, and challenging obstacles like “whoops” and rhythm sections, offering a condensed, action-packed version of outdoor motocross for huge crowds.
Races are held in major stadiums, mainly during the night, showcasing elite athletes on powerful 450cc and 250cc bikes, with events like the Monster Energy Supercross Championship and the FIM World Supercross Championship.
In essence, Supercross takes the core excitement of motocross and concentrates it into a high-octane, stadium-based spectacle, creating a unique and challenging motorsport. The 2026 SA Supercross Series will be held over four rounds starting from this Saturday in Johannesburg.
Round Two of the series will be held in Free State on April 11, followed by Round Three in Gqeberha on July 11. The fourth and final round of this exciting competition will be staged on December 5 in South Africa’s Mother City of Cape Town. A mouth-watering R37 500 prize money will be on the table as championship bonus money for positions 1 to 5 for each event.
And Zimbabwean rider Bako will compete in the Pro Class, which has attracted a strong field of 18 riders who will be lining up behind the gate on Saturday.
In fact, the Pro Class is mostly stacked with top South African motocross riders, who include Bako’s close South Af-rican friend Jonathan Mlimi.
Multiple South African National Motocross Championship Series winners Tristan Purdon and Tristan Durow are also part of this strong Pro Class section.
But all eyes will be on Zimbabwean dirt bike rider Bako, who is the only competitor from this country who has entered this inaugural event south of the Limpopo.
Bako (25), known for his speed in the South African National Championship series, will hit the SA Supercross gate aboard his KTM 250 SX-F, ready to fight for the title.
And the Zimbabwean rider recently said he was ready for the challenge in this newly introduced motorcycling competition in South Africa.
BetterBrands rider Bako wants to give it a shot and is ready to shake things up, proving he is among the top Super-cross racers in the Southern African region.
“So, this race (or competition) is basically a series of its own, consisting of four rounds. Meaning four different events in four different cities in South Africa.
“I am really looking forward to it as the last time I raced was back in August in the FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations.
“And with that being said, I really enjoy racing Supercross. I look forward to it every year, and yeah, I’m feeling re-ally confident that I can do good,” Bako said when he officially entered the SA Supercross Series early this month. A likeable character, Bako started his motocross career at the tender age of four after he was introduced to this exciting motorcycling sport by his father, Brighton “Bucks” Bako. He has since become a talented rider, competing in various international events across Zimbabwe, South Africa and Europe.
Now an elite motocross rider, Emmanuel has more than 40 medals and trophies to his name, and he will be looking at collecting more silverware during this year’s SA Supercross Series, starting from this Saturday’s opening round at Terra Topia.
The overall winner of the Pro Class on Saturday will walk away with R8 000, while the first runner-up will get R5 000, with the third-placed rider receiving R3 000.
The fourth- and fifth-placed riders will get R2 000 and R1 000 respectively.
History is about to be made at this event . . . and who will become the first modern-day SA Supercross winner?
