Since receiving her first bicycle at the age of 14, Beverly Roode has been captivated by the steel steeds and now shares her passion by building roughly 5 000 bikes per year to be distributed to those in need.
Roode and business partner Janine van Beulen Johnson head up the Qhubeka bicycle assembly facility at Nederburg in Paarl.
She knew she wanted to be involved with bicycles after she stripped and rebuilt that first bicycle of hers – a silver Raleigh.
Beverly Roode heads up the Qhubeka bicycle assembly facility at Nederburg in Paarl with business partner Janine van Beulen Johnson. Photo: Supplied
“I remember how incredibly excited I was by stripping it down and building it up again. That bicycle gave me freedom and independence and has formed the centre of my world ever since,” said Roode.
After completing her schooling, Roode was determined to work with bikes despite warnings that the industry was largely male-dominated.
She started her career at Soloped Cycles in Cape Town where she worked as a shop assistant. This gave her the formal training she needed and she soon made her way to England, where she completed her level-three bicycle mechanic training with Cycle Systems Academy.
Returning to South Africa, she started working for the Bicycle Empowerment Network (BEN).
“It was here that my enthusiasm for helping others started manifesting, adding an additional layer to my work with bicycles. This is also where I met Janine.”
Roode said the pair joined forces in 2015 to start their own company, Bicycles and Beyond (BAB), with the aim of empowering women and youth through cycling.
The following year they were approached by Qhubeka to manage their new bicycle assembly facility at Nederburg.
They jumped at the chance and soon expanded to include four previously unemployed women – Jennilee September, Tammy Letoli, Feroska Sitter and Georgina Simpson.
The four were trained in bicycle assembly, maintenance and repair.
“They have learnt a lot in a short period of time. It’s just so heart-warming to see them gain real skills, enabling them to uplift and improve their own lives,” said Roode.
The plant is able to produce approximately 150 bicycles per week and is part of the Paarl winery’s partnership with Team Dimension Data.
