South Africa might be on a high at present in terms of representation in international motorsport – Brad Binder in MotoGP, Darryn Binder in Moto America, Ruche Moodley in Moto3 and AJ Venter at the Isle of Man TT – but this presence mustn’t be allowed to stagnate; new blood has to be nurtured and fed into the system.
Thankfully, that’s exactly what is happening with South African teenager Oratilwe Phiri, who is currently racing with no little success in the international TVS Racing International Championship, which runs alongside the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship.
Riding a TVS Apache RR 310, he has consistently battled at the front of races, scoring multiple podiums and establishing himself as a championship contender.
If ‘Ora’s’ name is not familiar, then shame on you for not keeping abreast of South African motorcycle sport, for he is a six-time champion on home soil.
This is his resume:
- 2016: Claimed his first title – the MotoSA Pocket Bike Stock Class Championship at just 6 years old, having started racing at age 5 under his father’s guidance.
- 2017: Dominated the MotoSA Pocket Bike Stock Class Championship, proving his early title was no fluke.
- 2019: Won the SBMSCS Pocket Bike Super Production Championship
- 2020: Stepping up to a bigger bike, won the NSF100 Championship
- 2024: In his 2nd year racing long circuit, he won the MRSSA Sub500 National Challenge Championship
- 2025: Moved up to the senior ranks and secured the MRSSA/SAES SBK600 National Challenge Championship – his fifth national title -signalling he was ready for the world stage.
- 2026: Joined TVS Motor South Africa and made his international debut in the TVS Racing International Championship.
So far, his 2026 season has gone well. In round 1 at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia, he scored back-to-back 5th-place finishes in Race 1 and Race 2.
In a breakthrough performance at Round 2 of the TVS Racing International Championship (FIM Asia Road Racing Championship) in Thailand, Ora secured a brilliant 3rd-place podium finish in Race 1, becoming the first South African to reach the TVS podium. However, he suffered a race crash in Race 2 on the final lap and recovered to finish 11th, placing him 3rd overall in the championship standings.
At Round 2 of the TVS Racing International Championship in Thailand, Ora lined up against the best riders in Asia. Race 1 was decided by the finest of margins, with the top five separated by less than two-tenths of a second.
“Race 1 was one of the hottest and most competitive races I’ve been in. It was a great race and a good, clean battle throughout. I led a couple of times, and on the last lap, I got swallowed up into the last corner. But there was contact between riders, and some riders went wide. I played it safe and was able to finish 3rd, getting my first podium and becoming the first South African on the TVS podium.”
“Sunday’s Race 2 brought a different kind of test. On the last lap, I was cut off into turn 4, grabbed my brakes to avoid a collision and crashed, taking out another rider in the process. I got back up, remounted, and finished 11th, earning enough points to secure 3rd overall in the championship,” explains Ora.
That grit is perhaps the most defining trait about Ora.
Up next for Ora in the TVS Racing International Championship 2026 are rounds 3 in Japan (June), 4 in Indonesia (August), 5 in China (October), and the final round 6 in Thailand (December).
Ora has the benefit of having well-known SA racer Steven Odendaal as his racing coach and has built a strong professional structure around himself to further his racing ambitions, including his parents, TVS South Africa and Lumi Racing. The end goal? Reaching the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, that is MotoGP, of course! On current evidence, that is not as far-fetched as it may seem.
