Going further
Very few people thought the Sonke would be able to compete with more established rivals but they surprised a lot of competitors finishing sixth (out of 9 cars). The vehicle is the product of the combined two school: St Albans College and St Augustine's LEAP school.
The event proved to be an eventful 8 days, filled with drama.
Image: Wheels24/ Khaya Dondolo
The journey felt more like an adventure than a challenge; the teams experienced storms from the second day of the solar challenge in Kroonstad as well as in Gariep Dam.
Image: Wheels24/ Khaya Dondolo
Two teams had cockpits falling off their cars while driving because of strong winds, but they did not back down from the challenge. They stood up to it and were encouraged to work on their cars and repair them over night to continue in the race.
They got up the following day and hit the road like nothing happened, if that does not show the level of dedication in this challenge, then nothing will.
Other teams faced mechanical issues throughout the challenge, problems with their batteries, and others not getting enough charge, and struggling with energy management.