OUR PARTNERS
We value our partners and commit to them for the long-term journey of building an iconic African sports brand. Even after just a few months into the project, there has been tremendous support from our many friends and brands that have become aware of our project. We’ll add our sponsors and partners here, and give the context of our engagement, as the handshakes are made and the contracts are signed.
Partners
One winter morning, when Gravel Burn was still just a spark of an idea, Kevin was tackling a task on his long to-do list: ‘Find office space.’ That’s just when a LinkedIn notification popped up—Andrew Robinson, a fellow cyclist and co-owner of WeWork South Africa, was also working on a new venture. Fast forward a month, and the Gravel Burn team had established the Gravel Burn HQ at WeWork Cape Town. Andrew and co-owner, Stef Migliore have each bought an OPEN WI.DE and started to train for the inaugural Gravel Burn.
Venue partners
In an ideal world, what could be a more fitting finish for gravel race participants from around the globe than a Big 5 welcome at a world-class reserve? The answer was clear—Shamwari Private Game Reserve. It was the first name on our list. CEO Joe Cloete leads a top-drawer hospitality team combining luxury with a forward-thinking approach to conservation. And his financial director Ruan Fick is a passionate cyclist, who joined us for our very first Trial Burn test event.
For Kevin, Knysna holds a special nostalgia as the start town for the first five editions of the Cape Epic. Back then, MTB stage racing was still in its infancy, with much of the route following gravel roads. Kevin’s innovation shaped the race and helped evolve the sport itself, into a true test of any mountain biker. This time, instead of heading west, we venture east into gravel country. It is perhaps ironic, that 20 years later, the Gravel Burn also starts in Knysna, and will once again welcome riders from the world-over to start a week-long bike adventure.
Nestled in the heart of the Karoo, beneath the watchful Lootsberg mountains, Blaauwater is a place shaped by time and tradition. Home to the Kingwill family for generations, it stands as a testament to resilience and connection to the land. Life at Blaauwater Burn Camp is powered by the essentials – water drawn from the ancient Sundays River, fire fueling meal preparation and a community spirit that forges friendships to last a lifetime.
Karoo hospitality is widely known and well documented as legendary. However, no guidebook could capture what we experienced when presenting the Gravel Burn concept (back then it was just an idea) to the townsfolk of Graaff Reinet. They welcomed us as warmly as they embraced the event as if it were their own. They’ve become our anchor in the heart of our race – the Great Karoo.
Founding Friends
Kevin and Andy Kessler (Open’s co-founder) (add also Gerard Vroomen) are long-time friends. In fact, Kevin and his first Cape Epic riding partner from 2016 both own Open’s first ever production frames – MTB 29er hardtails #001 and #002. Kindred entrepreneurial spirits, they share a love for business, cycling and premium bikes, especially the ones carrying us along our Trial Burn route test event.
Africans were captivated watching Biniam Girmay win three stages of the Tour de France, and the green points jersey. Newmen wheels carried him on this special moment in history. Tested successfully at the highest level of the sport in Europe and now they’re tested on African soil – Newmen Components installed 10 sets of wheels on our Open WI.DEs for the first ever Trial Burn route recce and they’re still in perfect shape, ready for our next Trial Burn.
In a world where technology connects us faster than ever, there’s a quiet irony: our greatest luxury is time spent disconnected. Gravel riding is exactly that – a chance to unplug. Our digital home must reflect this balance, and Woww understood it from the start. They’re creating a digital space where our community can connect – augmenting the Gravel Burn experience without ever trying to replace the real adventure.
Ahead of the curve, owners Charles, Jarryd and Marc were already exponents of SA’s fledgling gravel scene 7 years ago. Although relatively new, their shop is part of the fabric of the central Cape Town cycling community. East City Cycles is Gravel Burn HQ’s Local Bike Shop, and so much more.
To capture the essence of Gravel Burn in a logo (no pressure!) we turned to M&C Saatchi, known for creating some of the South Africa’s most well-known brands. Connecting adventure and design, we homed in on the holy grail of iconography: something timeless and universal. The spirit of Gravel Burn is defined by the horizon, as represented in our logo – it’s that special moment where the land meets the sky and its infinite iterations unfold. And in the Karoo, there’s always something new happening on that distant line.
JOIN THE JOURNEY
PARTNER WITH US
Gravel Burn is as much a bike race as it is a community in which we all benefit from our individual contributions, and the collective. Get in touch to find out how to get on board as a partner.