Giniel de Villiers said goodbye to Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa after 14 years, but he still won’t race anything else other than a Toyota Hilux. On Wednesday, #TeamHilux Rally-Raid announced a two-year contract for de Villiers with his debut being the South African Safari Rally in May.

“Having Giniel on board is like adding a turbocharger to our team,” described his new teammate Fouché Blignaut. “His experience and skill are unparalleled, and we know he’ll push us to new heights.”

The 2009 Dakar Rally winner, de Villiers has been with Toyota since 2012. Until he crashed halfway through the 2025 race, he had been riding a record 21-year finish streak at Dakar.

De Villiers and TGRSA officially announced his departure earlier this week, but already addressed the matter at the team’s pre-Dakar press conference last December.

He joins #TeamHilux Rally-Raid at a good time, the team having moved up to T1+ at the 2024 South African Rally-Raid Championship’s season finale. Despite being new to the class, Blignaut won the first stage before settling for second overall but the top privateer. The team does not have factory support like TGRSA, though their Hilux’s performance is quite comparable as Blignaut finished top five in points.

“I’m excited to join the team and contribute to their success,” commented de Villiers, who won the SARRC T1+ title in 2022. “The team’s passion, energy and dedication to off-road rallying align with my own values, and I’m looking forward to working together to achieve great results.”

The South African Safari Rally (part of the World Rally-Raid Championship) will take place on May 18–24, while the SARRC season opener in Thabazimbi is on June 27–28.

Featured image credit: Julien Delfosse / DPPI