legacy

Lasting Benefits

of the Absa Cape Epic

The Race That Measures All has five official charities, along with countless others supported by individuals and teams. Over the years the Absa Cape Epic has provided an invaluable platform for fundraising and has made direct actions which have left a lasting impact on the communities the race visits. 

Since 2017, on GivenGain alone, the Absa Cape Epic has provided the platform to raise 1.85 Million Rand (excluding direct donations and other fundraising platforms). This includes 95 individual fundraising efforts, with donations from 1 053 people from 51 countries. The race’s official charities – the Anna Foundation, the Cape Leopard Trust, the IRONMAN Foundation and IRONMAN4theKidz, the Cancer Association of South Africa, Laureus - Sport for Good Foundation, and the Qhubeka Charity – each receive entries each year which they sell to raise funds. From this base the charities raise further funds, leveraging the networks of the riders who have elected to race in their colours.

This includes 95 individual fundraising efforts, with donations from 1 053 people from 51 countries. 

Each of the official charities has established strong ties to the Absa Cape Epic over the years. The Anna Foundation, for example, runs education programmes in the rural areas the event passes through, enabling farm workers to teach and facilitate a reading, writing, running and now riding after-schools programme. The race’s most recent addition to the role of official charity, the Cancer Association of South Africa, does more than just raise funds at the event.

Through their Cansa Active programme, the Cancer Association provide sun cream at waterpoints as well as in the race village. Given the amount of time the typical mountain biker in general and Absa Cape Epic entrant in particular spend in the sun, having appropriate UV protection is essential. International riders, especially those from colder climates, are often caught unaware by the harsh African sun.

Two of the greatest charity success stories of the Absa Cape Epic are the Cape Leopard Trust and the Qhubeka Charity. The Cape Leopard Trust conducts research on the Western Cape’s elusive predators, having expanded from their work with leopards they expanded their focus to caracal, genet, brown hyena and black eagles. Through their design of the Leopard jersey, for UCI riders whose partners have withdrawn from the race, the Cape Leopard Trust, gains added international exposure.

At the 2019 race, 50 bicycles were donated directly to pupils of Kayamandi High School, while another 350 were later donated to members of the wider Stellenbosch community. 

Qhubeka are arguably the most natural partners for the Absa Cape Epic. The charity provides robust, rigid singlespeed, bicycles to people from historically disadvantaged communities and have showcased repeatedly that “bicycles change lives”. At the 2019 race, 50 bicycles were donated directly to pupils of Kayamandi High School, while another 350 were later donated to members of the wider Stellenbosch community. In 2021 the charity and the event hope to exceed that figure, as the generosity of the race entrants and title sponsors, Absa, contribute towards putting more economically disadvantaged children on bicycles.