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[Absa Cape Epic]

CIOVITA: The Gold Standard

By Absa Cape Epic, 03/23/23, 9:45PM HST

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Kitting out the Epic Series

As the official apparel partner of the Absa Cape Epic, and its global Epic Series of events, proudly South African manufacturer CIOVITA has thrust itself, and its top-drawer kit, onto the world stage.

“You could say it was a fortuitous relationship,” says founder Andrew Gold. “We had involvement with the Wines2Whales and we got to know the Absa Cape Epic crew then. I think they liked the way we worked, that we were committed, that we were all-in.”

With an opening to become involved supplying the technical kit to the Absa Cape Epic on the table, Gold and his partner Freddie Enslin realised they had the quality required to meet the Epic’s standards, and wouldn’t it be nice if one of Africa’s marquee events was clothed by a local firm. “We were up against everyone, really, a lot of international firms, but then one day Freddie came to the office and said ‘We've got it’. Got what, I asked. ‘The Epic!’ And that’s when it all started.

It wasn’t just a partnership with the one event, of course. With The Untamed African Mountain Bike Race comes the series of class-leading events across the world; the Epic Series. “It was super exciting and nerve-wracking, if I am honest. Suddenly we were playing in a global market - obviously we had planned for that just in case we got the deal, but still. We are a small company, so a lot of our growth has been sudden and scary, but if you commit fully, anything is possible.”

2022 was CIOVITA’s first year at the Absa Cape Epic, both on the merchandise side and making the leader jerseys, which they did in typical CIOVITA style: from the ground, up, listening to what the riders needed to be their best on their day in yellow, orange, blue… whatever their category lead was.

A veteran of the Western Cape clothing industry, for far longer than the seven years Ciovita has been disrupting the cycling market, Gold is form on his commitment to keep the firm as local as possible. “We employ more than 250 people in our factory - it’s the cleanest factory you will ever see in the rag trade.” Gold’s pride is evident.

“In addition to the world-class master machinists who hand-make our CIOVITA garments, we have built a small training facility where we are training less experienced machinists in the skills needed to operate the machines, sewing, pattern making, cutting - we really do do everything ourselves. But it’s hard to find the right people, or actually easy when you do find them. A learner machinist will earn the same as a retail sales clerk, but the job isn’t as glamorous. But what we are doing is building skills, giving our staff a chance to not just move within CIOVITA as they show promise, but to leave us (hopefully not!) eventually with a marketable skill that lets them earn better and live better lives. That might take ten years, to get to master the machines fully and make the very best of them. The youth, as a generalisation, doesn’t think it has that time, but we continue to attract gems who realise the importance of it.”

For 2023, CIOVITA has taken over all aspects of Absa Cape Epic and Epic Series apparel, with retail outlets both online and physically at the events. “We are here at the Absa Cape Epic in a retail capacity, and now we have to replicate that in Andorra, Croatia… wherever the Epic Series takes us, so there’s still room for nerves, but we are so fully committed.” And so, the staff complement at a Capetonian company we should all be incredibly proud of grows. “My HR team tell me we have added 27 people to the payroll already this year,” says Gold as he surveys the controlled chaos of another Absa Cape Epic finish, nursing some lingering injuries from a typically fully-committed crash at one of the Australian Epic Series events. Living the brand, to the fullest.

“We are in this partnership for the long haul, and I think that for as long as the clients, the riders, keep loving and buying our products, it really does prove that partnerships can work at this level. And having the best in the world riding, uncomplaining, in our clothing on live television across the world gives our brand the ultimate credibility.

To have a ten-time world champion and Olympic champion like Nino Schurter wearing our jersey is a dream come true for any brand, so it is great for us, and for Cape Town industry.”

The queues at the Absa Cape Epic merchandise stand each day - a Babel of languages being spoken as they wait to pay - is testament to the fact that you don’t need a fancy European dialling code to find the best cycling kit money can buy - it’s being developed right here on the trails of the Absa Cape Epic.

To view the complete Absa Cape Epic range, made by CIOVITA, click here.