As has become tradition during the Safari Rally, the 2026 WRC Safari Rally brought more than just the roar of engines to the vibrant town of Naivasha. The lakeside town once again came alive with excitement, drawing thousands of rally enthusiasts and creating a wave of economic activity for small business vendors who travel from across the country to tap into the opportunity.
While fans gather to witness rally drivers navigate Kenya’s rugged terrain, the event has quietly become a peak trading season for entrepreneurs eager to serve the crowds.
For entrepreneurs like Ayub Mwangi, a businessman from Nakuru, the rally is more than just a sporting spectacle it is an opportunity to grow his hustle. Normally a tailor in Nakuru town, Ayub temporarily swaps his sewing kit for a selection of rally merchandise including kites, vuvuzelas and hats, setting up shop in Naivasha during the rally weekend.
“I have never missed a rally since it returned to Kenya in 2021,” says Ayub. “Every year I travel to Naivasha because the business here is good. I cannot say exactly how much I make each day, but I always go home happy. A single kite sells for around KES 500, which is more than I might make in a day from tailoring.”
To prepare for the busy rally season, Ayub says access to small business financing helped him stock up in advance.
“I needed extra capital to buy enough merchandise for the crowds, so I took a Taasi Pochi loan to boost my business since I didn’t have sufficient funds for stock. The support has truly paid off,” he says.
Taasi Pochi Loan is a type of Pochi La Biashara loan that enables Safaricom merchants to access instant credit ranging from KES 1,000 to KES 250,000. The loan can be accessed directly via *USSD 334# or through the M-PESA App, with flexible repayment periods of 7, 14, or 30 days.
For Maria Wanjiru, the rally has also become an important seasonal business opportunity. Maria, who runs Shiro Nyama Choma in Roysambu, Nairobi, planned her Naivasha trip weeks in advance to ensure she secured a good spot near the spectator stages.
“This is my second year coming to the rally,” she says. “Last year I tried selling sodas and it did not work very well. This year I decided to focus on nyama choma and the response has been amazing.”
Serving customers at the popular Sleeping Warrior spectator stage, Maria says she had to increase her stock significantly to keep up with demand.
She also notes that mobile payments have made it easier to manage transactions during such busy events. “At this event, I am mostly using Lipa Na M-PESA, specifically Buy Goods. It makes business smoother because customers can pay quickly, and I don’t have to worry about looking for change when things get busy.”
Her assistant during the rally, Job Ogamba, agrees.
“The turnout has been incredible,” he says. “There are so many people coming through the stages. Events like this really create opportunities for small traders.”
For young entrepreneurs like Ian Juma, a 25-year-old from Thika, this year marked his first experience selling at the rally. Ian temporarily paused his boda boda work and brought his smokie cart to Naivasha, offering smokies, boiled eggs, tea and soda to rally fans.
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“In Thika I sell a smokie or egg for about KES 25, but here the demand is much higher,” he says. “The crowds are huge and business has been good. I even had to bring someone to help me serve customers.”
Ian says he has been moving between different spectator stages since the rally began, following the crowds from Kedong to Sleeping Warrior and at Hell’s Gate.
“I took a risk coming here but it has been worth it,” he says. “Opportunities like this show young people that there are many ways to make money if you are willing to try.”
For Joel Macharia of Linkers Butchery in Kiambu, business this year has been steady, even if it has not quite matched the peak years of the rally’s return.
Still, Joel says the event continues to benefit many traders.
“Some of my friends have done extremely well this year,” he says. “Large events like this always bring opportunities.”
He adds that digital payments have become increasingly useful for vendors operating in crowded environments.
“It helps keep transactions safe and convenient, especially when you are dealing with large numbers of customers,” he says.
Since its return in 2021, the WRC Safari Rally has not only revived motorsport in Kenya but also become a powerful economic driver for towns like Naivasha. For many small business owners, the rally weekend is now an anticipated annual opportunity one that brings together sport, tourism and entrepreneurship in a uniquely Kenyan way.
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