Online Reporter
Collin Matiza
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ONE of Zimbabwe’s top young motocross riders, Victor Nyamupfukudza, is gearing up for a busy 2026 season.
The 11-year-old talented rider, who will this year move one class up from 65cc Class to 85cc Class, has got a busy schedule ahead of him this season and it includes competing in the FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships (MXoAN) in Namibia in August.
Namibia late last year secured the rights to host the 2026 FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships for the first time, marking a major milestone for that country’s motorsport fraternity.
The announcement was made last August in Harare following the conclusion of the 2025 continental competition at the iconic Donnybrook Park Raceway.
The FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships is an annual continental motorcycling event.
It’s a team competition where nations across Africa compete for the title.
And young Nyamupfukudza is already itching to compete in this annual event for the sixth time in his promising career.
Nyamupfukudza is now a Grade Seven pupil at Elland Oak Junior School in Waterfalls.
Speaking to Zimpapers Sports Hub yesterday, Nyamupfukudza’s father and manager, Simbarashe, said his son has already stepped up his preparations for the new motocross season in which he will compete in both the Bog-wheelers Club National Championship series and the African Championships.
Simbarashe also confirmed that his son has now graduated to race in the juniors’ 85cc Class.
Victor has mainly been racing in the 65cc Class for the past three years.
“He (Victor) has shown a lot of interest in the 85cc Class. Last year in December he raced in Zambia and he per-formed well.
“We registered him to race in the 65cc Class and, unfortunately, his bike ceased so we had to use an 85cc bike which we borrowed and he came first,” Simbarashe said.
And following his exploits on the track in Zambia, Victor has now set his sights on competing in the FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships in Namibia later this year.
“We are definitely going to Namibia in August this year where we are confident Victor will emerge as the new African Champion in the 85cc Class,” Simbarashe said.
He said they are also looking at competing in this year’s seven-round South African National Championship series south of the Limpopo.
However, Simbarashe said sponsorship remains a major challenge for his son.
“You know, motocross is not a cheap sport and one needs more sponsorship inorder to do well in this sport.
“So, we’re appealing for the local corporate world to come on board and bankroll Victor in his quest to conquer Africa in Namibia in August.
“In fact, we need a sponsorship package of about US$10 000 for the whole season,” Simbarashe said.
Namibia have already stepped up their preparations for the 2026 African Championships.
Affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the global governing body for motorcycle racing, the Namibia Motorsport Federation falls under FIM Africa, which oversees continental events.
Each year, FIM Africa stages the MXoAN, a team competition where countries enter riders across different classes, with each rider’s performance contributing to their national team’s overall score.
Last year’s edition in Zimbabwe drew eight participating nations and featured 147 riders.
Namibia, which placed fourth at last year’s championships, now has the opportunity to showcase not just its riders but also its organisational capabilities as the 2026 hosts.
According to Derek Jacobs, Secretary General of the NMSF, Namibia is aiming to raise the bar.
“We are hoping to get more than eight countries here and more riders. Our target is 200 riders in Namibia. For motocross, this is a huge thing, it’s the most prestigious motocross event on the African continent,” he was recently quoted as saying by the Namibian Press.
Jacobs believes Namibia is ready to embrace the challenge and deliver a world-class event, stating, “It’s a huge opportunity not just for our riders but also to cement Namibia’s place as a serious motorsport destination in Africa.”
The road to hosting rights was competitive. Alongside Namibia, bids were submitted by Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania and South Africa (which previously hosted in 2023). Namibia’s proposal won the nod, with the event now set for August 2026.
Hosting the MXoAN presents both opportunities and challenges.
One of the main hurdles in recent years has been logistics, particularly for Northern African nations transporting equipment south, and vice versa.
Despite these difficulties, Zimbabwe successfully stepped in to host the 2025 event after Kenya withdrew three months prior, earning praise for their swift and effective organisation. During last year’s event at Donnybrook in Harare, Zimbabwe came second overall behind perennial continental champions South Africa.
