About
An iconic gravel stage race, in the making
A week of gravel racing from the Great Karoo to Shamwari Private Game Reserve, with riders living together in Burn Camps along the way, and a USD 155,000 prize purse split equally between women and men.
Our story
From the team behind the Cape Epic
Nedbank Gravel Burn is organised by the founder and team who created the Cape Epic in 2004 and built it into the world's premier mountain bike stage race: widely regarded as the Tour de France of mountain biking, attracting 1,500 riders from more than 50 countries each year, Olympic and world champions among them.
Just as the Cape Epic saw the chance to lead the new mountain bike category 25 years ago, Nedbank Gravel Burn aims to become the world's most iconic gravel stage race. The first edition ran in October 2025: 500 riders from 24 countries, and sold out six months before the start.
I count myself incredibly privileged to have not one, but two, opportunities to create a world-leading event in a format that has no peers worldwide. And to have a great deal of fun along the way working with friends and colleagues that have a similar quest for perfection and are inspired by creating a new benchmark for gravel cycling – just as we did for mountain biking at the Cape Epic.
Community impact
Leaving more than tyre tracks
The race moves through regions that seldom host events of this size, and every partnership along the way leaves a lasting impact. In 2025:
- ZAR 14 million+spent directly with Eastern Cape businesses on event services
- 450+people working at the race, many recruited from Eastern Cape communities, in hosting, hospitality, cleaning and labour
- ZAR 1 millionincome for the SA College for Tourism, Camp Masters, tent teams and local contractors
- ZAR 700,000+spent on accommodation in the Eastern Cape
- ZAR 250,000+spent directly with Graaff-Reinet restaurants
A lasting legacy
Infrastructure that stays
We invest in practical infrastructure that suits each location, improving water security and land use for farmers and local communities long after the race has moved on.
- 24 kmof gravel roads upgraded
- 14 haof land cleared for farming
- 175,000 lreservoir built
- 1borehole at Blaauwater, delivering more than double the average yield
Official charities
Riding for more
South African College for Tourism
Gives 90 hospitality students in Graaff-Reinet hands-on, multi-day experience in a live event, turning training into real-world experience.
Shamwari Foundation
Supports wildlife conservation, environmental restoration and community development, connecting the race to the landscape it moves through.
VulPro
Africa's leading vulture conservation organisation, protecting these remarkable birds from extinction through rescue, rehabilitation and breeding programmes.