South African Bike Factory in New Phase

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – The Shova Kalula project to provide a bike for everyone in South Africa has entered a new phase. The national Department of Transport (DoT) has issued an ‘expression of interest’ to establish a bicycle manufacturing plant in South Africa to produce bicycles for its Shova Kalula (=Bicycles for Everybody) project.

The project, which aims to ensure the roll-out of one-million bicycles by 2014, forms part of government’s action programme and is expected to contribute to government’s anti-poverty strategy and second economy interventions. It is to promote the use of non-motorised transport, especially for low-income households.

In 2007 Shova Kalula got the presidential blessing at the congress of the South African Department of Transport and was renamed ‘Shova Kalula Million Bike Programme’. At that time the target for the first production year and affordability programme was set to 60,000 units, 80,000 for the second year and 100,000 for the third year, with a personal commitment of Minister of Transport Radebe to achieve a production level of one million bicycles by 2014.

“The Shova Kalula project had already ensured the distribution of 59,000 bicycles, 26,000 of which have been assembled in South Africa during the 2008/9 financial year”, commented DoT spokesperson Sam Monareng.

Monareng also told “Engineering News Online” that it had asked the Department of Trade and Industry to assist in evaluating the bids received under the ‘expression of interest’. He said that only one manufacturing plant was being planned and that a specific province or region had not been determined.

Photo: Ron Thompson

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