Simola Hill Climb, a prestigious 3-day event nestled in the quaint town that is Knysna. It’s known for the stunning views of the Heads and its tranquil harbour, but once a year, this little town gets jolted to a whole new atmosphere. Instead of tranquil waters and coffee shops, you are greeted with fumes and the roaring of rumbling engines as cars from garages all over South Africa fill up the single-lane streets. This year marked the 15th year since SHC started, which certainly made it a special one.
I was ecstatic to receive a phone call from Suzuki Motorcycle South Africa with an invitation to the Simola Hill Climb. It would be my first time attending SHC (Simola Hill Climb), and as a frequent visitor of Knysna, it certainly proved to be a different experience, but when I say different, I mean it in a good way. You don’t have to be a petrol head to enjoy the exhilarating excitement that welcomes you when you walk amongst these race-ready cars.
Suzuki Auto South Africa was one of the main sponsors at this year’s SHC, but even though the SHC was the main attraction for the weekend, the guests of Suzuki were treated to a wider range of activities during our stay in Knysna. On our first day, we had the privilege of visiting the esteemed Motorcycle Room located on the beautiful Thesen Island, where we got to spend the morning feasting our eyes on bikes that formed the history of the motorcycles we ride today. It was amazing to hear the stories of the older generation as they showed pictures of them racing on the same era bikes that were on display—I look forward to being able to experience that level of nostalgia someday.
After a trip down memory lane at the museum, we headed down to the harbour—typical Knysna, it was a short 5-minute drive. We were greeted by the skippers (who were dressed as though it was -5 degrees) from Tait Marine, Knysna and Lomar Marine, Plettenburg Bay, ready to take us out on a speedboat excursion to the Heads. We were meant to head out to sea, but the weather had other plans, so we only made it to the Heads—make no mistake, the waves did not disappoint; it was certainly a wave-jumping experience. Although it was all about speed, there is something else about seeing Knysna from the lagoon versus on land, and it takes my breath away every time. With frozen hands and noses, and adrenaline masking it all, we headed back to the harbour. If you are a bit of an adrenaline junky then you should try speedboating, there is a definite difference in the illusion of speed.
Now that we had experienced the exhilarating speeds on water and a filling lunch at Tapas and Oysters, it was finally time to make our way to the main event, which is the SHC, to witness a different aspect of motorsport. Walking down the pit lane with cars parked, bonnets open, rev counters flying, and racers prepping, you can’t help but feel like you’re on top of the world. The rumbling of engines vibrates through your body, and the excitement builds up until you finally make it to the start line, where tyres screeching meet the iconic Simola Hill.
Even though there were dozens of cars taking part in the SHC, our main focus was the Suzuki entrants: Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger driving the Swift Sport, Ernest Page driving the latest Swift and Sean Nurse driving the Jimny. Yes, you heard me, Suzuki was sending a 3-door Gen-4 Jimny up Simola. When chatting to them, the main theme for this 3-day event was simply to “have fun”, and fun was indeed had. With their striking colour wraps, the cars drew an immense amount of attention, and surprisingly, the Jimny was a favourite amongst many. Perhaps a Jimny-only class would be something to look out for next year—we’re dubbing it “Simola, but off-road.”
Now, I might be the only one wondering about their colour choices, but interestingly, each car’s colour represented something. For instance, the sunshine yellow pays tribute to the Swift Sport’s success in the Junior World Rally Championship and Super 1600 class, achieving several wins and the championship in 2007 and 2010 the latter. The dynamic red livery, on the other hand, was in honour of Suzuki’s legacy at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb with the Escudo. Finally, the Jimny, for those who know motorcycle racing, you would’ve recognised this one… The Jimny was wrapped in the striking Carbon Neutral Challenge Livery. For those non-motorcycle peeps—Suzuki entered into the 45th Suzuka 8 Hour Endurance Race in 2024, where they competed using sustainable fuel and worked on developing sustainable components such as tyres, oil, fenders, front brakes and batteries with the hope of “revitalising the future of the motorcycle industry.”
After a great day of watching the classic cars take on the hill, day 1 was coming to an end, but it wasn’t over yet. We got to witness a parade through town of every car that entered the SHC. Now, when they said parade, I imagine all the cars taking a “slow drive” through town… I was highly mistaken; it was everything but that. Imagine people on either side of the road and individual cars doing burnouts down the whole stretch. That was SHC’s version of a parade, and boy was it better than anything I imagined (I’m sure an X-ray would reveal that I was a chain-smoker after that event, though). We headed back to Knysna Hollow Country Estate and enjoyed a mouth-watering dinner before laying our heads down, I swear I could still hear the engines revving in my ears as I closed my eyes. I was ready for day 2 of Simola.
We were up before sunrise, ready for the official day that the Suzuki entrants would be going up the hill. We got to the track, and the energy was running high as the first car sped off, marking the start of Practice 1. For the next two days, cars would one by one race up the hill, improving their times with every run. Friday and Saturday were a bit gloomy with rainy weather, but it cleared up towards Saturday afternoon. This was great news because Suzuki Motorcycle South Africa also made their appearance with two of their latest bikes, the GSX-8R. They had Nicole Van Aswegen and Tristan Pienaar, both motorcycle racers, do a showcase run up Simola with these middleweight super sport machines. It was great to see the amount of interest that the bikes attracted, especially at a car-focused event like SHC. I guess petrol-heads aren’t biased…
We were all very pleased to wake up to clear skies Sunday morning, which were the perfect conditions for the racers and cars alike. Walking along the pits and through the crowds up to Gasoline Alley, it was evident that this was a family event. There were people of all ages there to watch this event roll out, picnic blankets were laid down, and children were enjoying all the activities that the Monster tent had to offer. Individuals literally brought the entire family to experience the excitement of motorsport. Suzuki had a merchandise tent up on Gasoline Alley, and it was a fan favourite based on the number of people walking around with Suzuki-branded caps.
Sunday had a bittersweet tinge to it after the unfortunate crash that claimed the life of Pieter Joubert, but his family requested that the event carry on in his honour. After a few hours of delay, we had a minute of silence to honour his life before the racers continued their runs to complete the 15th Simola Hill Climb. Pieter Zeelie went on to not only win the 2025 King Of The Hill, but he also set a new record, which Franco Scribante previously held, taking 1.039 seconds off. Sean Nurse finished third in the Class Final, Jeanette finished 4th, and Ernest Page finished 7th in Qualifying 6.
Overall, it was an incredible experience filled with emotion, excitement and great fun. Suzuki South Africa went out of their way to ensure that each one of their guests got only the best hospitality there was to offer, whether it be food, experience or comfort, we had it all. As true Suzuki lifestyle, it was a full circle of everything Suzuki is involved in: Auto, Marine and Motorcycle, they made sure to connect it all into the thrill of the Hillclimb. They not only celebrated their continued presence in racing, but they also managed to capture the heritage of their history within it. Thank you for making us a part of your iconic legacy, and I look forward to the next.
