This weekend at Zwartkops Raceway, two women will strap themselves into a racing car and take their first competitive starts in motorsport. But their journey to the grid tells a far bigger story than lap times and finishing positions.

This is about what happens when women are given a door into an industry traditionally closed to them, and the mentorship, support and opportunity to keep pushing forward once they’ve walked through it.

At the centre of the story stand Pontsho Malebese and Zelda Verster, joined by experienced racer Elke van Vledder and motorsport champion Fabienne Lanz. Four women, different journeys, one shared track at the Zwartkoponopolis 500.

And for the Motorsport Girls Academy Camp, their presence on the grid represents proof that transformation isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a pathway that, when built properly, takes people from discovery all the way to the starting lights.

From zero to grid in three years

Pontsho’s journey began with Girls Camp Edition 1 in 2023. Her previous exposure to motorsport? Virtually zero. The programme opened a door she didn’t even know existed, offering her first steps into an industry that seemed distant, inaccessible, and frankly, not built for someone like her.

Since then, she’s competed in karting, gained hands-on experience working with a racing team, and developed both the skills and confidence required to operate within the sport’s demanding environment.

This weekend, she makes the leap from supporting cast to leading lady, strapping into a racing car for her first competitive start. It’s a moment years in the making, built on opportunity seized and potential realised.

The rapid rise

Zelda’s timeline has been even more compressed. Joining Girls Camp only in July, she quickly immersed herself in the Zwartkops Raceway community, contributing behind the scenes whilst simultaneously learning what it takes to operate within a racing environment.

In just months, she’s gone from newcomer to competitor, absorbing knowledge, building relationships, and proving that when someone is genuinely committed and properly supported, the learning curve can be remarkably steep.

This weekend, she joins Pontsho in making that first competitive start, a baptism of fire that will test everything she’s learned in her whirlwind introduction to motorsport.

The mentors who matter

Neither woman is making this journey alone. That’s the entire point.

Fabienne Lanz, a champion and passionate advocate for women in motorsport, sees the Zwartkoponopolis 500 as far more than just another race weekend. It represents the importance of seeing a transformation journey through, not just opening doors but walking alongside people as they navigate what’s on the other side.

Alongside her, Elke van Vledder brings years of competitive experience and a direct link to motorsport’s established community. Her presence demonstrates the generational connection required for sustainable change, experienced racers investing in the next generation, sharing knowledge, and creating the kind of supportive environment where newcomers can thrive rather than merely survive.

Together, the team brings together different stages of the motorsport journey. From discovering the sport, to learning the ropes, to building experience, to taking a place on the starting grid, each driver represents a different point along the same pathway.

What transformation actually looks like

Girls Camp opens the door. The transformation happens when women walk through it, find mentors waiting on the other side, and receive the support required to keep progressing rather than hitting invisible barriers that force them back out.

This weekend, Pontsho and Zelda take their first competitive steps surrounded by women who’ve already travelled the road before them. They’ll have someone to ask when confusion strikes. They’ll have examples to follow when doubt creeps in. They’ll have proof that what they’re attempting is possible because they’re sharing a car with people who’ve already done it.

One car, infinite possibilities

One car. Four women. Different journeys. One shared track.

It’s a simple formula that carries profound implications. Motorsport has historically been a heavily male-dominated industry where women faced barriers to entry, limited opportunities for progression, and insufficient support structures once they did break through.

What’s happening this weekend at Zwartkops challenges that narrative directly. It demonstrates what’s possible when intentional programmes create pathways, when experienced competitors invest in newcomers, and when opportunity is coupled with the mentorship required to maximise it.

For Pontsho and Zelda, the Zwartkoponopolis 500 represents a beginning, not a destination. Their first competitive starts will be followed by second, third, and hopefully countless more as they continue developing their skills and building their motorsport careers.

But you have to start somewhere. And starting surrounded by people who believe in you, support you, and have walked similar paths makes all the difference.

The proof is in the grid

The Motorsport Girls Academy Camp opened doors. Fabienne and Elke held them open and showed women what lay beyond. Pontsho and Zelda walked through and kept walking.

This weekend, they reach the grid.

An opportunity became a pathway. A pathway became progression. Progression becomes a career.

That’s what transformation looks like when it’s done properly. Not just token gestures or box-ticking exercises, but genuine investment in creating sustainable change that moves women from discovery to competitive participation.

Four women, one car, and the weekend where two first-timers become racers.

The lights will go green. The race will begin. And two more women will prove that when doors open and mentors guide, anything becomes possible.