Cape Town’s Bicycle Mayor Driving a Revolution on Two Wheels

Sindile Mavundla’s daily commute to school in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, was on a red BMX bike—an uncommon sight in his community at the time. He was one of the few in his neighborhood with a bike and often shared it with his friends.

From an early age, Mavundla saw the barriers preventing many from cycling. Now, at 33, he is working to change that as one of Africa’s few bicycle mayors.

The Bicycle Mayor Network, founded in 2016 in Amsterdam, has grown to over 100 members globally, all advocating for cycling in their countries. In Africa, besides Mavundla, there are also bicycle mayors in Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria.

Mavundla explained, “Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of cycling, enhance infrastructure, and offer new ideas for creating more livable cities centered around bicycles.”

As Cape Town's Bicycle Mayor, Mavundla is dedicated to building a more inclusive and diverse cycling culture across South Africa.

He collaborates with the non-profit Active Mobility Forum to make biking more accessible in local communities, focusing on safer bike lanes, affordable bicycles, and cycling workshops that teach road safety.

In 2019, Mavundla launched Khaltsha Cycles, a bike shop aimed at encouraging cycling in South African townships. The shop has since built a community of over 260 cyclists, many of whom now rely on biking for their daily commutes.

Additionally, he partnered with the mobility non-profit Qhubeka to donate 1,220 bicycles to Thembelihle High School in Cape Town. Through the Bike2Learn initiative, more than 1,200 students aged 15 to 18 have been taught how to ride, with 85% now cycling to school daily, Mavundla reports.

“When a child has to walk 15 kilometers to school, they arrive exhausted. But with a bike, they reach school energized and ready to learn,” Mavundla explained.

Advocating for change

Although cycling has grown in popularity in South Africa, it remains far from widespread, according to Neil Robinson, CEO of Cape Town’s Pedal Power Association.

Cape Town hosts major cycling events, like the world’s largest timed cycling race, the Cycle Tour, and the Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike race, but cycling still makes up only 1% of daily commutes in Western Cape province, Robinson noted.

In contrast, in the Netherlands, 28% of all trips are made by bike, with an average of 1.3 bikes per person, compared to just 0.1 in South Africa, as reported in a 2020 government report.

Robinson has set an ambitious target: he aims for 5% of Cape Town’s population to commute by bike by 2030.

“For many of South Africa’s lower-income citizens, a significant portion of their income goes towards public transportation. But by providing them with a bicycle, we can create economic opportunities,” he explained.

Robinson acknowledges numerous challenges, including theft, inadequate infrastructure, and prevailing cultural attitudes toward cycling.

Mavundla notes that cycling for commuting is often seen as a symbol of low income, but attitudes are gradually shifting.

“Back when I was still in the corporate world, I would ride my bike in a suit, and that really changed a lot of people’s views,” Mavundla shared. “It amazed people because I owned a car, yet I chose to ride my bike instead.”

Pedaling Into Action

Lebogang Mokwena, the first bicycle mayor of Cape Town, introduced Learn2Cycle classes in the city, helping empower more women to embrace cycling and understand the rules of the road. Mavundla has carried on Mokwena's legacy, teaching over 200 women how to ride. “We welcome anyone, regardless of their race, gender, or background,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you come from or what you do, as long as you have a love for cycling.”

Zintle Limba, a Cape Town local, had never ridden a bike until she joined a Learn2Cycle session.

“Where I come from, having a bike is a luxury,” she explained. “Society says that women shouldn’t ride bikes because it’s considered unladylike. But I believe we’ve moved beyond those outdated views.”

Mavundla recognizes that while South Africa’s cycling culture has made strides, it still has a long way to go in terms of diversity. Although cycling was once seen as a form of transport for the privileged, predominantly white, community, the situation has evolved since his childhood. However, Mavundla remains optimistic about future change.

“We’re starting to see small groups of people of color entering this space,” Mavundla said. “I believe we’re moving forward, step by step.”