The first weekend of February has become sacred ground for South Africa’s Volkswagen and VAG faithful. Each year, thousands of enthusiasts descend on Bela-Bela for SA Camp Fest (previously Vdub Camp fest), a two-day celebration of the cars, the culture and the community that orbit the VW badge. Forever Resorts Warmbaths has firmly established itself as the spiritual home of the event. The sprawling resort inside the Hetbad Nature Reserve has the scale to handle both the sheer volume of show cars and the crowds that follow them, while offering everything from shaded camping to comfortable chalets. Crucially for owners of low-slung metal, the internal roads are well kept and the show arena unfolds across a large grassed area, giving competitors the confidence to drag their sumps around without major damage.

The Show and Shine part of the event is the heart of Fest, and for 2026, over 200 cars competed across 30 categories. The benchmark rises annually and this year was no exception, with returning projects debuting full rebuilds and fresh concepts alongside new contenders hungry for silverware. While some builds took serious budgets, the home-built cars were just as impressive, proving you don’t need to pull off an armoured car heist to win a category. Beyond the judging lane, Fest mixes car culture with festival energy, so attendees were treated to sponsored activities, product launches and brand displays throughout the weekend, while the Saturday night AfterFest party rocked right thanks to the likes of Mdu TRP, Jazziq, Abi Danger, Shayx, K2K, Zane Gulston and Ry-MC on the decks.

The benchmark rises annually and this year was no exception

In the run-up to the 17th Camp Fest, international VW figurehead and PVW die-hard Jamie Orr once again turned the journey into part of the story. Teaming up with Victor Pardal and Delarey Racing Developments, he organised a Cape Town-to-Camp Fest road trip – 5,000 km of VW radness. The convoy mixed factory and enthusiast machinery: a Volkswagen SA-supplied 2025 Golf Mk8 GTI (EU-spec) and Polo Vivo GT Concept, Vic’s Mk5 GTI, the Grumpyshaus ’92 Fox, Suli’s Paparazzi Polo and the DRD Amarok support vehicle. The team stopped at various venues en route for informal meet-ups with local VW fans before rolling into Camp Fest together. At Fest, Jamie’s earlier South African-built 20-valve Mk1 and PVW staffer, Carmen’s blue Citi, were both shown at the DRD and Liqui Moly stands alongside Vic’s 16-valve ITB Mk1. Carmen’s newly acquired Mk1 even received essential mechanical attention during the weekend to prepare it for its next chapter in Europe. Jamie’s brief disappearance on Saturday with the DRD head honcho and the LiquiMoly guy had purpose beyond scheduling. The road trip doubled as a fundraiser for Huis Tajle, a local Bela-Bela care facility for severely physically and mentally disabled children. The initiative raised thousands of Rands, but the highlight for many of the children was something simpler: rides in the Grumpyshaus Fox. Everyone who went through ended up cutting onions, for real.

A major new element for 2026 was the presence of Volkswagen South Africa itself. The manufacturer arrived with a large display spanning heritage and current models, while also using Camp Fest to present the updated Mk8.5 Golf R to local media and invited guests. The refreshed 8.5 GTI, Polo GTI Edition One, an immaculate stock Mk1 and a 1975 Beetle rounded out the stand. The ID.Buzz drew plenty of attention, even in a market that’s still not convinced about EVs, the retro-inspired people mover was a main attraction. That’s saying something. Volkswagen Group Africa Chairperson and CEO Martina Biene was also present throughout the weekend, engaging directly with enthusiasts who probably didn’t know they were talking to the highest-ranking Volkswagen executive outside Germany.

The R32 trend has increased, every other car was singing the six-cylinder song of the people

As expected, the national VAG elite arrived in force. Competitors from every province brought their A+ game, with a few past competitors returning to claim or reclaim titles. The R32 swap trend has increased, every other car was singing the 6-cylinder song of the people. R32s were found in Mk1s through Mk3s and even a new-gen Caddy. One good thing about there being so many of these swaps is that it’s forced builders to refine the execution and details to stand out from the rest. Platform trends were clear. Mk1s still dominate numerically, followed closely by Polos, but Mk5 Golfs continued their rise, as has the Mk4 with some awesome high-level builds. Standout cars were everywhere. The AIR BFT Karmann Ghia restomod impressed with a comprehensive, detail-rich build including Cerakoted brightwork, a flawless air-ride installation and an immaculate interior – the matching surfboard was the perfect finishing touch. It was also the only car at the show genuinely laying frame. Bodyline Auto delivered two heavy hitters. Their Mk7, once a rare Clubsport S, now wears bespoke paint, a custom interior and the firm’s now trademark DAZA swap. In a Clubsport S!Alongside it sat a new-generation Caddy featuring custom paint, air suspension, an award-winning ICE install and, inevitably, an R32 conversion. We’re guessing the only reason it wasn’t DAZA-swapped is because they’re hard to find in the wild. Bodyline didn’t play, they took home Best Paint, Best Mk4, Best Mk7, Best VAG and Best ICE.

After evaluating all the show cars across two days, the judges awarded Best of Show to Chadlin April of The Scene Shack with his Audi S3, known as Custard. Returning after several years off the circuit, the duo returned with an overall win as the target. The latest iteration features a fully shaved engine bay housing a large side-mounted turbo setup plus amazing air and ICE systems. The details ultimately sealed the win: a fresh interior with genuine customised Porsche GT3 RS seats, extensive carbon and Alcantara work, and Porsche-themed braking hardware front and rear behind the coolest custom 19-inch 3-piece BBS E88 splits. This win marked the first time an Audi has taken overall honours at SA Camp Fest. Rightly so.

Camp Fest drew more than 15,000 visitors alongside countless brands and vendors

SA Camp Fest 2026 drew more than 15,000 visitors alongside hundreds of competitors, brands and vendors, reaffirming its status as South Africa’s largest dedicated VAG gathering – most definitely one of the world’s largest, too. The overall build quality continues to climb each year and many local cars could easily hold their own at international shows. Now, attention inevitably turns to 2027 and the 18th instalment – and to whatever weird road trip concept Jamie dreams up next in support of both the scene and the communities that host it. Until then, you can expect to see a car or two from Fest gracing these PVW pages.