Zwartkops

About the Facility

Zwartkops is one of South Africa's busiest permanent road courses and the heart of grassroots and national motorsport in the Gauteng region. Its defining feature is the arena concept: the whole 2.4 km lap sits inside a natural bowl, so spectators can follow every car for the entire lap from a single vantage point — something very few circuits in the world offer.

Despite its short length, the layout is far from simple. Eight corners are strung together with three genuinely fast sections and several heavy braking zones, including a signature 180-degree hairpin that has become the circuit's trademark overtaking spot. Constant direction changes and a lack of long recovery straights make Zwartkops physically demanding and unforgiving on brakes and tyres — a lap here rewards precision and momentum rather than outright power.

Notable Features:

• Signature 180-degree hairpin, the primary passing opportunity
• Three fast sections linked by multiple hard braking zones
• Arena layout with full-lap visibility for spectators
• Skid pan and dedicated driver training facilities
• International-standard kart circuit with crossover bridge
• 4x4 driver training course and the AMG Driver Academy
• Full paddock, pit complex, race control and timing infrastructure

History

Zwartkops was inaugurated on 18 November 1961 as a fast 3.228 km circuit with notable elevation changes, and through the 1960s and 1970s it grew into a regional racing hub alongside nearby Kyalami. In 1986 the venue was reconfigured and split into separate car and motorcycle circuits, the main track shortened to 2.000 km with six turns. Economic pressure eventually forced the circuit to close in the late 1990s.

The revival came from Peter du Toit, who toured European facilities for inspiration before rebuilding Zwartkops around the spectator-first arena concept. The circuit re-opened in its current 2.400 km, eight-corner form in March 2001 and has been operated since by the Zwartkops Owners Club. Du Toit also allocated a 20% shareholding to Black Economic Empowerment initiatives.

Today Zwartkops hosts the Sasol GTC (Global Touring Car) Championship, the SA Superbike Championship, the popular Legends of the 9 Hours historic race meeting and a dense calendar of club racing, track days and driver training.

Lap Records

| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year | |---|---|---|---|---| | Formula One | 0:58.839 | André Bezuidenhout | Dallara F189 | 2008 | | Formula Volkswagen | 0:59.278 | Robert Wolk | Reynard | 2012 | | GT3 | 0:59.625 | Michael Stephen | Audi R8 LMS | 2023 | | GTC | 1:03.120 | Saood Variawa | Toyota Corolla | 2023 | | SupaCup | 1:05.466 | Bradley Liebenberg | Volkswagen Polo | 2023 |

Location & Contact

Address: R55, 0137, Pretoria, South Africa Phone: +27 12 384 2299 Email: info@zwartkops.co.za Website: zwartkops.co.za

Note: No lap times have been recorded on Vetkuro for this track yet.