The country's biggest sports stars and celebrities gathered at Ellis Park Stadium, Loftus Stadium and the Nelson Mandela Foundation to both raise their heart rates and raise awareness for those who have been affected most severely by the Covid-19 pandemic. The general public was invited to 'join hands' with their sporting heroes in the virtual world and ride in solidarity in allocated time slots on the Zwift app.

While funds will continue to be raised until the end of August, a total of R2.6 million has already been donated through this initiative towards the Nelson Mandela Foundation's "Each One Feed One" campaign.

Thabo Leeuw, chairman of the Nelson Mandela Legacy Ride4Hope, commented: "Around this time of year, we usually host the Nelson Mandela Legacy Ride4Hope – an event that uses cycling as a platform to raise funds for those in desperate need. While that event was no longer possible this year, our purpose to reach out to South Africans in need remained. Instead of just postponing to 2021, we found a new way to address the pain that people are experiencing in this time. What a great success it has been!"

Sporting icons from the Emirates Lions, Vodacom Bulls, Imperial Lions Cricket, Momentum Multiply Titans Cricket, Nedbank Running club, FXTM Cycling Team, Nelson Mandela Foundation and Ride4Hope were among those who supported the event.  The list of celebrities cycling for the cause included television presenter Masego "Maps" Maponyane, retired football star Brian Baloyi, former Springbok rugby player Breyton Paulse and Sello Hatang, Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO.

A stand-out athlete on the day was Comrades Marathon winner Gerda Steyn, who showed her support all the way from France. "It's such an honour to be able to carry Nelson Mandela's message of coming together through sport. Being a part of something like this goes far beyond just one athlete – it's about bringing together an entire country and carrying the message to the rest of the world," she said.

Sello Hatang, Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, gave a parting shot: "The Challenge gave participants and contributors an opportunity to give hope. The initiative helped ensure that people who feel discarded and forgotten will be assisted through the challenge's contributions."