As a kid growing up in Cape Town, Andrew Gold fell in love with cycling while riding his BMX around the streets of his home town. It was, as most childhood loves are, a simple and pure one. Gold’s love would become a passion that would eventually become a business that has this week took a massive step on to the global cycling stage.

At the end of January it was announced that Gold’s Ciovita brand would be the official technical apparel partner for the global Epic Series of mountain bike stage races, which has as its flagship the Absa Cape Epic, regarded as the Tour de France of mountain bike races. The Epic Series includes a range races in Wales, Croatia, Switzerland, New Zealand, Andorra, Australia and, obviously, South Africa. Why is this important? Because they are the first wholly owned and based South African cycling apparel brand to partner with the Epic.

When I visit Italy the locals immediately read the logo on my jersey.

They take over from Assos, the highly-regarded Swiss manufacturer, who have been in situ for the best part of a decade at the Epic. It’s one small step for the Epic, one giant leap for Gold and his team. In what can be a tricky and saturated market, Gold and his team have thrived. It began, as most good things do, on a ride.

“Like all great ideas, Ciovita started as an idea on bike ride in late 2015 with the first products produced in early 2016,” said Gold. “As a small brand we always had big ambitions but never did we expect the level of growth that we have achieved in the last five years. Ciovita is privately owned and funded, with a bit of help from the bank. The business is run by myself, Freddie Enslin and Karlien Robertson.”

BMX to the Big Time

“My love for cycling started when I was a kid riding my BMX around the streets. At school I was part of the cycling team and growing up in Cape Town the Argus cycle tour, as it was known then, was naturally an ambition of mine to ride. I remember completing my first Cape Town Cycle Tour (formerly the Argus) when I was 13,” said Gold.

“I somehow found myself playing rugby in my later years at school, but fortunately my under-16F coach never saw my full potential. I stopped cycling briefly when I moved to the UK after leaving school and when I came back two years later, my dad had sold my bike as they had moved house. Since then I have just cycled for the love of the sport and not competitively, other than chasing Freddie around the mountain.”

When founding the brand Gold wanted a name that had a worldly feel about it. He had a sense then it would go global. The name comes from the Latin words “CIO” meaning “to go” or “to move” and the Italian “VITA” meaning “life”.

“Together they mean ‘Life in motion’,” said Gold. “The amazing thing is that there is no such word as CIOVITA in the dictionary, yet when I visit Italy the locals immediately read the logo on my jersey and shout it out as if it’s a common word.”

The pandemic was a challenge and the “biggest” blessing as exercise was draconically banned by the government, then lifted, albeit limited. People were bursting to get outside. “Naturally, we were super worried at the beginning of the pandemic, but the positive change it has had on people’s view of being outside and active has facilitated the massive growth in cycling. The growth has been organic, albeit very fast. We have been fortunate to have had capital to purchase the best machinery available to enable us to compete at the highest level in terms of innovation and quality, and we had the appetite to do it locally, now employing close to 200 employees. What differentiates us is our ability to react quickly to what the market needs and the fact that we control the entire process from design to manufacture in our own facilities. Freddie and Karlien have been vital to our growth. I’m indebted to them. I’m the ideas man, while Freddie looks after sales and marketing and Karlien the design and production processes.”

The Absa Cape Epic runs from March 20-27. It is seen in 175 countries and broadcast in 22 languages. A kid on his BMX in Cape Town fell in love with cycling many years ago. Now he’s talking his love to the world.

This article first appeared in Business Day where Kevin McCallum, serial Double Century finisher, is a regular columnist on all matters sporting. You can also find his musings on the alloverthebarshouting.com

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