South Africa's local team joins a solar car race

South Africa's SolarFlair solar team leader, Klasie Botha interacts with driver Mangaliso Gxesha at the V&A Waterfront, on the final stage of the 2022 Sasol Solar Challenge race, in Cape Town, South Africa, September 16, 2022. REUTERS/Esa Alexander

A South African local engineering team, which includes 20- to 70-year old members, for the first time took part in the continent's biggest solar car race, where drivers travel on public roads from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

Before joining the competition, the residents of Mpumalanga province have been building and driving electric vehicles for a decade to encourage school kids to get involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.