Each year when the engines roar to life for the WRC Safari Rally, the focus is often on the dramatic racing across Kenya’s rugged terrain. But away from the dust trails and cheering crowds, another story unfolds quietly in the streets and spectator stages of Naivasha—one of brisk trade, improvised markets and small businesses cashing in on the rally weekend.
As thousands of motorsport fans descend on the lakeside town, the event transforms Naivasha into a temporary economic hub where traders from across the country gather to serve the crowds.
For Ayub Mwangi, a tailor from Nakuru, the rally weekend represents a break from his usual routine and a chance to tap into a much larger market. During the event, he swaps his sewing tools for a stall selling rally-themed items such as kites, hats and vuvuzelas.
“I have never missed a rally since it returned to Kenya,” he says, standing beside his colourful display of merchandise. “Every year I travel to Naivasha because the business here is good. A single kite can sell for about Sh500, which is more than I might make in a full day of tailoring.”
Ayub is among hundreds of small traders who see the rally not just as entertainment but as an opportunity to boost their earnings in a short period of time.
Food vendors, in particular, have found a ready market among the crowds who spend long hours at the spectator stages scattered across the vast rally routes.
Maria Wanjiru, who operates a small nyama choma business in Nairobi, arrived in Naivasha days before the rally began to secure a strategic spot near the popular Sleeping Warrior stage.
“This is my second year coming here,” she says while tending to a busy grill. “Last year I tried selling sodas and it didn’t work very well. This time I focused on nyama choma and the response has been amazing.”
Throughout the day, a steady stream of rally fans lines up at her stall for quick meals between race stages.
Her assistant, Job Ogamba, says the crowds have kept them busy from morning until late afternoon.
“The turnout has been incredible,” he says. “There are so many people moving through the stages. When events like this happen, it creates real opportunities for traders.”
For some vendors, the rally also offers a chance to experiment with new ventures.
Ian Juma, a 25-year-old from Thika, decided to pause his boda boda work and bring a smokie cart to Naivasha for the weekend. Selling smokies, boiled eggs and tea, he has been moving between different rally stages to follow the crowds.
“I took a risk coming here but it has been worth it,” he says. “The crowds are huge and business has been good. I even had to bring someone to help me serve customers.”
Like many first-time traders at the rally, Ian has spent the weekend navigating between busy locations such as Kedong, Sleeping Warrior and Hell’s Gate National Park, where fans gather to watch the action.
Veteran traders say the rally has steadily grown into one of the most reliable seasonal markets in the region since its return to Kenya.
Joel Macharia, who runs a butchery in Kiambu County, says the event continues to draw entrepreneurs hoping to capitalise on the large crowds.
“Some of my friends have done extremely well this year,” he says. “Large events like this always bring opportunities for small traders.”
Since its comeback to Kenya in 2021, the Safari Rally has revived more than just motorsport. For towns like Naivasha, it has created an annual surge of commerce that spills from the rally routes into makeshift markets, roadside grills and mobile stalls.