If Nedbank Gravel Burn is a wild and remote seven-day journey of dust, dreams and drama, then ChemChamp is the calm, conscious force keeping it all clean and gleaming behind the scenes. As Official Infrastructure and Sustainability Partner of the inaugural 2025 Nedbank Gravel Burn, ChemChamp has built the framework to keep the showers hot and the water flowing at the remote Burn Camp locations; they’ve redefined what impact-conscious adventure looks like in the wild heart of the Karoo.

Across seven days and 800 kilometres of dust, corrugations and delirium, riders are discovering that “remote” doesn’t have to mean “roughing it.” Thanks to ChemChamp’s seamless integration into every aspect of the riders’ Burn Camp, comfort and consciousness are now part of the same sentence. Think modular ablution facilities designed to last long after the riders roll out, clever water recycling systems and boreholes that will serve host farms and communities long after the last tyre track fades.

“The Karoo is a land of extremes, where water is scarce and conservation is essential,” said Justin Kingwill, host farmer at Blaauwater. “This is the driest I’ve ever seen it at this time of year. The investments being made through this partnership don’t just benefit the race – they will leave a permanent improvement on the land.”

It’s this legacy-first mindset that makes ChemChamp’s role so powerful. As a leader in sustainable engineering and industrial material recycling, they’ve long been turning environmental challenges into opportunities – transforming hazardous waste streams into renewed industrial resources. Now, they’re applying that same philosophy to cycling: reducing environmental impact while amplifying human experience.

Beyond infrastructure, ChemChamp’s passion for the sport runs deep. They’re co-sponsors of Team Imbuko ChemChamp and Team ChemChamp Honeycomb 226ers, whose elite riders are tackling Nedbank Gravel Burn head-on (and proving that sustainability can still go very, very fast). Their founder and CEO, Daniel Tenner, is also in the saddle, alongside ChemChamp’s Marketing and Operations Director Biance Bekker. The pair are taking on the same dust, climbs and corrugations as every other rider.

“The race has exceeded my expectations. You know, we really thought it was just going to be, just hard, but actually, it was really beautiful. Yesterday was fantastic. Driving under the trees, in the shadows. It just gives you a nice texture of both the dry, arid landscape as well as the green and flourishing areas with rivers and ravines.”

“Leaving a legacy in the region with infrastructure and employment is a fundamental part of the partnership with Nedbank Gravel Burn. Biance has been touring all the schools in the area teaching them about recycling and that there’s value in waste. Her favourite saying is: ‘Single-use should never be an option’.”

Tenner (and Bekker’s) presence brings the story full circle: the leader of a global recycling enterprise, grinding through Karoo gravel to embody the conscious values his company stands for. His slower pace might not win jerseys, but it underscores that the true victory lies in how we ride, not how fast.

Furthering the commitment to cycling and to the region, ChemChamp are the presenting sponsor of Kindling by ChemChamp – a three-day gravel ride in the heart of the Karoo, starting in Graaff Reinet and staying at Blaauwater Burn Camp for two nights. By the creators of Nedbank Gravel Burn, the event promises the same Nedbank Gravel Burn spirit (and slick organisation), over a less challenging route, and ebikes are welcomed. From 25-27 April 2026. 

With ChemChamp involved, every kilometre counts, every Burn Camp contributes and every rider leaves a conscious legacy on the land they cross.