A woman empowerment success story

Lesotho is a small landlocked country, located in the middle of it’s only neighbor: South Africa. Most noteworthy are the geographic features and landscapes that are almost entirely defined by mountains. Cycling in Lesotho can best be described as a niche activity, but over the years it has grown consistently and thus far the Mike’s Bikes Foundation has shipped around 4000 bicycles to Lesotho. The relationship to Lesotho goes back to 2012 and has grown from strength to strength. The most popular cycling event in the country is the annual Lesotho Sky mountain bike ride, a 6-day adventure across Lesotho’s remote mountain ranges. The event hosts local and international riders and in Lesotho it continues to inspire youth and adults alike to take up cycling.

Thanks to the regular supply of quality 2nd hand bikes, parts, gear and equipment coming through the Mike’s Bikes Foundation, Lesotho has access to affordable and decent quality bicycles. Pre-owned bikes are popular, due to their superior quality compared to lower-cost entry level supermarket bikes. Cycling culture is proliferating and community bike shops are emerging across the country. Since 2022 the sister shop in Lesotho, better known as Lesotho Bike Hangar is managed and operated by Lesotho’s first female qualified bicycle technician: Nthati Letsie.

Nthati completed her bike tec qualification in South Africa as well as a professional internship in Germany, before she stepped up from manager to owner and is now in charge of Lesotho’s first fully-fledged bicycle store. Lesotho Bike Hangar is also the first store in the country that offers premium services, such as suspension maintenance, upgrades with higher-end parts and other advanced works. Previously such services were not available in the country and customers had to cross borders to South Africa in order to get assistance with modern bikes. Nthati oversees a team of mechanics and has become a master of many skills that are necessary to keep the wheels spinning in Lesotho.