The annual fundraiser saw stationary bicycles moving continuously for 24 hours, with this year’s efforts taking the community’s total fundraising well beyond R4 million.
Cape Town, South Africa (08 September 2026) – There were plenty of determined riders in support of children in Langa as the Bishops community came together for the sixth annual VUSA 24-Hour Cycle Challenge.
Held on 4 and 5 September in partnership with Investec, the challenge kept stationary bicycles turning for a full 24 hours as schools, corporates, families, riders and volunteers took turns on the bikes and helped raise an incredible R900,000 for the VUSA Rugby and Learning Academy.
Funds raised through crowdfunding page will support VUSA’s programmes covering sport, education, nutrition and personal development. All aimed at giving children in Langa access to opportunities and support.
And this year’s event was about much more than simply getting through 24 hours on a bicycle.
VUSA’s children joined the action on Saturday morning for their own 12-hour challenge, while a treadmill relay, live entertainment, family activities, food vendors and even a potjie competition kept the atmosphere going.
For one VUSA parent, the impact of the organisation is personal.
“My daughter benefits from VUSA’s programmes every day, and I am so grateful for the support she receives from her coaches, the programme managers and VUSA’s social worker. When she was injured, they supported both her and our family, and I saw how deeply they care for every child,” said Asanda Silwanyana, parent of an 11-year-old VUSA rugby player.
The Cycle Challenge has come a long way since it first began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
Back then, it was an emergency fundraiser with a very immediate goal: protecting 10 coaching jobs and keeping programmes running for 160 children.
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VUSA now reaches more than 2,000 children, with 30 staff delivering programmes across sport, education, nutrition and personal development.
“The Cycle Challenge began during Covid at a time when we were simply trying to keep our coaches employed and our programmes running,” says Nikki Matthews, Chief Operating Officer of VUSA Rugby and Learning Academy.
And the fundraising numbers tell their own story.
Since the first Cycle Challenge, the Bishops community has raised more than R4 million. With this year’s additional R900,000, the community has now pushed its total well beyond the R4 million mark.
The money helps keep a wide range of programmes going, including VUSA’s mobile computer classroom and mobile library, which support Early Childhood Development centres and primary schools. Children can also access after-school academic support, sport, creative activities, social services and daily hot meals.
For Bishops principal Tony Reeler, the event is another example of what can happen when a community gets behind a shared cause.
“The Bishops community has rallied once more behind one of our most important partnership programmes, the VUSA Rugby Academy.”
While the bikes have stopped spinning for now, the impact of the challenge will continue well beyond the weekend.
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