Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE annual Nedbank Tour de Great Dyke has found new momentum.
Manica Bikes has stepped in as the Official Bike Partner for the 2025 edition, giving the country’s flagship cycling event a timely boost in both professionalism and spirit.
It’s a partnership that feels natural. The Tour has long been about endurance, teamwork, and community; values that align perfectly with a company that’s helped keep Zimbabwe’s cyclists on the road for decades.
For Manica Bikes, this is more than a sponsorship; it’s a commitment to Zimbabwe’s growing cycling movement and to the people who make it thrive.
“Manica Bikes is excited to partner with YAFM and the Nedbank Tour de Great Dyke 2025 as the Official Bike Partner,” said the company’s Sales and Marketing Officer, Herbert Dzonge. “We will be providing full technical support to all cyclists throughout the event.”
That support could prove invaluable. The three day ride across Zimbabwe’s mineral rich heartland can be brutal on both body and bike. With Manica Bikes providing expert mechanical assistance along the route, riders, from first-timers to elite competitors, can focus fully on the challenge ahead, knowing help is just a pit stop away.
Dzonge said the company will also use the opportunity to showcase its range of bicycles and motorcycles at selected stops along the route.
“As the Tour moves through communities, we will also be exhibiting our range of bicycles and motorcycles, giving locals a chance to experience the quality and innovation behind the Manica Bikes brand.”
Now in its eighth year, the Nedbank Tour de Great Dyke has evolved from a niche cycling challenge into a celebration of wellness, resilience and community. Organised by YAFM and powered by Nedbank, it draws hundreds of cyclists, from mining companies, local clubs, and everyday enthusiasts, who ride not just for fitness or competition, but for a shared cause.
YAFM Projects Manager Ebson Hungwe welcomed Manica Bikes’ involvement, saying it was a milestone partnership that would help lift the event to new heights.
“We are thrilled to have Manica Bikes joining the Nedbank Tour de Great Dyke family. This partnership aligns perfectly with our vision of promoting wellness, inclusivity, and community development through sport,” he said.
“Their initiative to offer technical support to cyclists will go a long way in strengthening this year’s event and enhancing the overall cycling culture in Zimbabwe.”
The 2025 Tour, set for 6–8 November, will again trace the Great Dyke, the country’s geological spine, from Selous in the north to Zvishavane in the south. Along the way, riders will pass through Chegutu, Kadoma, Kwekwe, Gweru and Shurugwi, drawing crowds in every town they enter.
A new feature this year is the introduction of an 80 kilometre competitive race from the Unki turn off in Shurugwi to Zvishavane, a demanding final stretch that will push elite riders to their limits. It’s expected to add a thrilling edge to an event known more for its camaraderie and charitable heart than for outright competition.
More than 300 cyclists, including a contingent from Mozambique, are expected to take part this year, giving the Tour a regional feel and reaffirming its growing reputation across Southern Africa
Beyond the spectacle and sweat, the Nedbank Tour de Great Dyke has always been a ride with purpose. Proceeds from the event will once again go to the Gifted Children Foundation, which helps academically talented but underprivileged students’ access education and mentorship.
The 2025 theme, “Riding for Opportunity, Wellness and Charity”, captures that spirit perfectly. It’s about movement in every sense of the word; propelling bicycles, transforming lives, and connecting people along Zimbabwe’s mineral corridor in the name of a shared goal.
As the peloton rolls across the Great Dyke this November, backed by the steady hand of Manica Bikes, it will do more than trace a map. It will chart a story of endurance, generosity, and partnership, proof that when communities come together, even the toughest rides become possible.
