8 December 2021

The business community in Swakopmund is looking forward to an uptake in business during the Nedbank Desert Dash weekend on Friday, 10 December and Saturday, 11 December 2021.

Hundreds of cyclists, their support teams, families and cycling fans are expected to meet at Swakopmund during the Nedbank Desert Dash, with their spending power expected to boost the economy at the coast. Businesses have been hard hit by the slowdown caused by the decline in tourist numbers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “For the three to four days of the Dash, we see a lot of business activity, spending in supermarkets and hotels, and that helps the Swakopmund economy,” says Almuth Styles of the Namib-I tourism information centre. “Usually, accommodation places are fully booked during the weekend of the Nedbank Desert Dash. Every dollar counts and helps pay a salary; it is always a positive development.” 

The contribution of the Nedbank Desert Dash to the Swakopmund economy is expected to be the beginning of a good season heading into Christmas and New Year celebrations, as Styles is expecting more visitors this year. 

Christine Visser, a small business owner and fitness instructor, agrees that the Nedbank Desert Dash “brings a big business buzz” to Swakopmund with a lot of events held at the beach, malls, and hotels, during this period. She also noted that besides the Nedbank Desert Dash, “Nedbank supports other sporting and social events at the coast.”  In recent years, further boosts for the coastal economy have come from the Nedbank Desert Classic-a premier golf competition, as well as the Nedbank Swakopmund Food Festival. 

“The Nedbank Desert Dash has many spinoffs, and its impact goes beyond the cycling event. The hundreds of cyclists and fans that will come for the event are expected to spend money on accommodation as well as other leisure activities at the coast,” says Nedbank Namibia Communications and PR Manager, Selma Kaulinge. She adds that hotels, lodges, bed-and-breakfast establishments, adventure tours, car-hire firms, and restaurants generally see an uptake in sales during the Dash.

The Nedbank Desert Dash is one of Namibia’s biggest sporting events and the longest single-stage mountain bike race in the world, covering over 369km between Windhoek and Swakopmund across the Khomas Hochland and through the Namib Desert in 24 hours.

Kaulinge added, ‘’The Nedbank Desert Dash is one of the premier sports events in Namibia. This year’s event comes at a time when the tourism industry at the coast needs visitors. The pandemic slowed the growth of the Namibian economy and tourism, one of the main sectors at the coast, was hard hit. Through the Desert Dash, Nedbank Namibia is making a meaningful effort to help sustain the tourism industry at the coast. Nedbank Namibia is proud to be its main sponsor. We are also happy that the race continues to aid many charities in the country.” Charitable causes will benefit from the race, as several cyclists and teams will be riding to raise money for orphanages and educational institutions.

Swakopmund municipal chief executive Archie Benjamin estimates that the Nedbank Desert Dash brings about N$20 million to the local economy. Benjamin is excited that after the difficult period brought about by the health pandemic, the Nedbank Desert Dash will once again bring the local and international spotlight to Swakopmund. 

“We in Swakopmund are excited. After a few difficult months in another year of COVID, the Desert Dash brings international visibility to Namibia.” Benjamin says in the past two years through the Desert Dash, the Municipality of Swakopmund and Nedbank Namibia have created a smart partnership for community participation and economic impetus to the tourist town. “We welcome cyclists, supporting teams and supporters. Swakopmund is ready,” says Benjamin, encouraging the visitors to enjoy what he terms as ‘world-class hospitality.’ 

The total prize money for this year’s Desert Dash is N$440,000. The first prize for the solo men’s category is N$38,000, second prize N$21,000, third Prize N$14,000, fourth prize N$8,500, fifth prize N$8,000, sixth prize N$5,000, seventh prize N$4,000, eighth prize N$3,000, ninth prize N$2,000 and 10th prize N$1,000. In the women’s solo category, the prizes for the first to the fifth position winners are N$38,000, N$21,000, N$14,000, N $8,500, and N$8,000, respectively. For the two-person men’s team category, the prizes for the first three positions are N$24,000, N $13,000, and N$9,000. The prizes for the two person women’s category are the same as for the men’s category.

The four-person category for men and women will see the top three cyclists in each section walk away with N$18,000, N $ 10,000, and N$8,000. In the two person mixed category the top three cyclists will take home, N$24,000, N $13,000, and N$9,000 respectively. The prizes for the four-person mix category are N$18,000, N $10,000, and N$8,000.

The Nedbank Desert Dash attracts both local and international cyclists. The participants this year will be coming from Namibia, South Africa, Malawi, the United States, Germany, Portugal, Britain, France, Serbia, Canada, Ireland, Belgium, and Botswana.

All cyclists will have to present a negative COVID-19 test to be able to take part in this year’s event.