A cycling programme in rural KwaZulu-Natal is giving thousands of young South Africans the skills, confidence and independence to move forward while proving how education, sport and global collaboration can change lives.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (14 October 2025) – Two continents, one shared vision! A partnership built on education, sport and opportunity has reached a remarkable milestone! Teaching 10,000 young South Africans how to ride and maintain bicycles.
The Bambisanani Partnership, in collaboration with KZN Cycling, the University of Leeds, and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, has spent years transforming what began as a small local project into one of South Africa’s most inspiring youth development programmes.
For many children growing up in rural areas, getting to school or accessing community resources can mean walking several kilometres every day. The cycling initiative was created to change that reality by giving learners the tools, confidence and knowledge to ride safely, repair and care for their own bikes.
Along the way, participants have learned teamwork, discipline and problem-solving, with some even progressing to competitive cycling events through KZN’s High-Performance Pathways.
Teachers and community leaders have witnessed first-hand how the programme has brought hope and pride to their schools.
“For many of our learners, a bicycle is life-changing. It helps them get to school faster, participate in activities, and even support their families,” said a teacher from Mnyakanya High School. “This programme has truly empowered our community.”
The milestone marks another proud chapter in the Bambisanani Partnership’s 19-year journey.
It was in 2006 when all this began. A collaboration between St. Mary’s School in Menston, UK, and Mnyakanya High School in KwaZulu-Natal has grown into a multi-award-winning model of sport-led education and social change.
David Geldart, Volunteer CEO of the Bambisanani Partnership reflected with gratitude.
“Reaching 10,000 young people is a landmark achievement for our cycling programme. This initiative is about so much more than learning to ride, it is about giving young people independence, confidence, and the ability to shape their own futures.”
The programme has proven that small actions can create lasting change. Each young person who learns to ride represents a step toward mobility, self-reliance, and opportunity ensuring the wheels of progress keep turning for generations to come.
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