Marie Mjacu
The cycling team from Stellenbosch University, who entered the Cape Town Cycle Tour under the team #Maties100, gained seven new members from Kayamandi. The team grew to a total of 63 members who faced the race on Sunday, 11th March.
The new additions from Kayamandi were a group of cyclists under the leadership of Unathi Msophi who had been training daily so as to join the team and compete in the race. The #Maties100 team participated in order to celebrate the university’s centenary as well as to raise money or bursaries. The team is attached to BMT Bike Shop in Dorp Street Stellenbosch, a shop owned by a university alumni, Chris Norton. With sports medicine and pre-event screening provided by the SU Campus Health services it really was a group effort.
The group from Kayamandi said that cycling has been a way for them to escape their circumstances and has opened many doors for them. Members of the group have also been able to further their studies and find jobs through the aid of the BMT Bike Shop’s support. The team’s manager said they were inspired by the actions of Songo Fipazi, an entrepreneur from Kayamandi who is working to uplift members of the community. They hope that their actions will inspire others, especially the youth, to get involved in their community.
The team used the money from entry fees and donations to raise funds for bursaries as tertiary education fees are in such high demand at the moment. Despite the recent announcement of free higher education for students who meet certain requirements, the team felt that it was still an important cause to support.
The #Maties100 group’s main focus was to celebrate the university in a way that would give back to the university and would involve as many members of the community as possible.