Bike racer pays it forward to create a win-win situation
South African roads are dangerous. Continuous training and education to create awareness about this is imperative to change the status quo.
Following his passion and playing his part to make our roads safer for motorbike riders is all in a day’s work for Sfiso Themba.
Themba was born in Mpumalanga. Now, as a systems and web developer, he applies technology to develop solutions for many of today’s challenges.
“I grew up watching Formula 1 cars with my grandfather. From a young age, I would race my bicycles, but never thought I would race motorbikes in my future,” he said.
Themba, who is also a director of Motorsport South Africa (MSA), has embarked on a mission to make everyday riding safer.
“Most road bikers buy bikes for a lifestyle and never invest in the skill of riding. I, therefore, decided to create a race page on which I not only talk about my racing career but also educate riders about the fundamentals of a bike. This led to the creation of the tagline ‘Biking is a lifestyle and riding is a skill’, which has manifested itself through the training I do in partnership with Sanral,” he said.
The purpose of this partnership is to get all South African bikers from all walks of life to have riding skills to reduce fatalities on public roads.
Most of the training is done at Zwartkops, Polokwane and other short circuits throughout the country. The training includes advice on riding gear and its purpose, bike and sitting etiquette and riding lessons and observations.
More than 200 bikers have already benefitted from this partnership, and the intention is to expand the initiative to all provinces.
“I would love to see bike manufacturers becoming involved and giving back to bikers who support their brands. The more partners we have on board, after all, the greater our reach and the safer our roads will become,” he said.
“MSA is proud that one of its directors is playing such a significant role in promoting motorcycle safety on the country’s roads. Not only is this a much-needed community service, but we are also hopeful that Sfiso’s passion for motorcycle racing will inspire some of the riders he is assisting to try their hand at formal motorsport competition themselves,” said Adrian Scholtz, MSA’s CEO.
Source: Cathy Findley PR
