To combat high youth unemployment and revitalise manufacturing in the uMgungundlovu district, various entities have joined forces to bring the e-biking phenomenon to the area. E-bikes (electric bicycles) are bicycles that have an integrated electric motor to assist with pedalling when the rider needs help. The uMgungundlovu Economic Development Agency (Umeda) and several other entities, including the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea), Trisab and Sasops Biz, hope to capitalise on this growing interest.
They are bringing in 50 Wow e-bikes, assembled in the Western Cape, to give unemployed matric graduates older than 21 an opportunity to earn money. They will pay them off through a flexible payment plan. Speaking at the unveiling of the programme at the Dambuza Youth Centre on Tuesday, Trisab’s CEO, Thokozani Shongwe, said the bikes selected for the programme were chosen because they are designed and manufactured locally and, consequently, built to handle South African terrain.
He said that an assembly plant for the bikes will be operating in the district within the next six months, creating 40 to 60 permanent jobs. Shongwe said Trisab and the Department of Labour are engaging with all major delivery services like Uber, Mr D, Checkers Sixty60 and restaurants to start using Wow e-bikes. Umeda’s general manager, James Martin, said: “The gap between an area like Hilton and Dambuza is considerable, which is why we are making the announcement of this programme at the youth centre. We want to bring opportunities to the communities who need them most.
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