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The Qhubeka Charity – Bicycles Change Lives
The Qhubeka Charity, founded by businessman Anthony Fitzhenry in 2005, exists to provide scholar transport to African secondary school learners (ages 13–21) attending low-service rural schools, to reduce their journey time and improve their academic results.
The charity’s mission is simple and uncompromising: Get students where they need to be, to school, safely and on time, every day. For many years, the Qhubeka Charity has experienced firsthand how good education and the right support can transform a child’s future, and with it, the future of their family and their entire community.
Building Pride & Responsibility, Not Just Bicycles
The difference a Qhubeka Bicycle programme makes in a remote village is tangible; you can feel it. The bicycle offers access to opportunity and progress; it brings freedom of choice and expands the horizons of every child who rides it. And they work in the areas that truly need their help, operating solely with the bottom 60% of Africa’s rural and under-resourced public schools.
Importantly, the charity creates an economic ecosystem in every community in which they operate: building bicycles in South Africa and creating jobs in those communities.
In addition, each recipient learns a vital life lesson: receiving a Qhubeka bicycle is a contract of responsibility. Learners commit to using it for school attendance, improved performance, and personal progress.
Promotion & How You Can Help
Due to the impact so far of the Qhubeka Charity, in 2019, the Tour de France adopted the charity as a key delivery partner of its ‘A Bike for All’ global commitment. That relationship continues into 2026 and was extended to the women’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift when that event launched in 2022.
Each year, an entire day - usually on 18 July (Mandela Day) - of the race is dedicated to the Qhubeka Charity. You can see a recent short film they made to celebrate this on our YouTube channel HERE.
To date, Qhubeka has distributed over 115,000 bicycles. With over two million children in South Africa still walking to and from school each day, they have more work to do. Qhubeka is funded by multi-year grants from many South African and international corporations, as well as a significant grass-roots donor pool.
The charity has branch offices in both the UK and Switzerland and is always looking for additional corporate relationships with businesses whose CSR or ESG commitments align with our work.
Contact Jeremy Ford (Director & Trustee) on jeremy@qhubeka.org or +44 7741 536809 to discuss.