In nature’s intricate design, every creature and plant plays a role – some quietly, some critically – each contributing to a delicate balance we so often take for granted. Among them, the vulture holds a vital place, silently safeguarding ecosystems through its crucial role in maintaining harmony.
With the race passing through regions once abundant in wildlife, it was clear from our first visit to Shamwari Private Game Reserve, the auspicious finish venue of the race, that conservation had to be part of our story. Our partnership with Vulpro is rooted in a shared purpose: to protect our environment and help restore the balance of nature. As one of South Africa’s leading vulture-focused organisations, Vulpro works to safeguard a species that plays a pivotal role in our ecosystem.
Situated within Shamwari, the official finish venue of the race and home to the Shamwari Foundation, Vulpro’s Eastern Cape Facility works tirelessly to rehabilitate injured, grounded, disabled and poisoned vultures so they can be released back into the wild, restoring populations through their specialised captive breeding programmes, community outreach and education initiatives and research on movement patterns, wild surveys and threat mitigation to help protect and conserve vulture populations.
Vultures are among nature’s most efficient custodians. They act as a disease barrier by consuming carcasses that could otherwise contaminate water sources or spread infection. Yet across southern Africa, they are disappearing due to poisoning, power line electrocutions and collisions, windfarm collisions, illegal trade and harvesting for belief-based purposes and habitat disruption, to name a few; often without much public awareness. More than half of the Cape Vulture population has vanished since the 1980s with less 5000 breeding pairs left today.
“This partnership gives us a powerful opportunity to not only protect a species, but to bring people closer to their story,” says Kerri Wolter, founder of Vulpro. “Vultures have taught me how fragile life is, and how determined survival can be. Nedbank Gravel Burn gives us the platform to share that lesson, to help people understand that these birds are not just ecologically essential, they are emotionally powerful.
For Nedbank Gravel Burn, the partnership with Vulpro is part of a broader commitment to making a lasting contribution in the regions the race crosses.
“Vulpro is doing vital work in the Eastern Cape, and this partnership allows us to help strengthen and amplify that work,” says Kevin Vermaak, founder of Nedbank Gravel Burn. “The race is about more than just world-class riding. It is about the legacy we leave behind. This is one of those rare opportunities to connect sport and purpose in a way that feels genuinely meaningful.”
To ride amongst vultures is a huge privilege and so we’ve included as part of the rider package for a select group of riders, partners and guests to view these majestic birds up close and to witness the next generation of captive bred vultures before they take to the skies early in 2026.
For Johan Joubert, wildlife veterinarian and head of conservation at Shamwari, the moment carries special weight. “The return of vultures to this region is one of the most hopeful conservation stories in the Eastern Cape. To see them flying again and to share that with Nedbank Gravel Burn riders will be a reminder of what is possible when people come together with a shared sense of care.”
As a gesture of support, all waiting list fees collected from Monday 5 May will be donated to Vulpro. Riders can also opt to join the Vulpro charity entry programme by committing to fundraising efforts that extend the organisation’s reach while earning recognition on and off the trail.
Together, Nedbank Gravel Burn and Vulpro are building a new model of race partnership. This is a space where world-class sport meets real-world conservation, and where every finish line becomes a starting point for lasting impact.