H a rle y A fr ica Bik e Wee k
aBr Does ABW!
Harley-Davidson’s Africa Bike Week
shows how it’s done!
Every year since 1938 motorcyclists – upwards of 400 000 of them – have streamed into Sturgis (population 7000) for an
annual rally, jamboree, party – call it what you will – in August.
T
Hibiscus Coast Municipality,
Ugu Municipality, and South
Coast Tourism provide
funding and services like
security and cleaning
crews to attract bikers and
raise awareness of the
South Coast. Then there
are the sponsors – Jack
Daniels, Black Label, Shelly
Centre and Jeep – who all
contribute financially. “There
is no way that we could afford to run an event of this magnitude
without partners and sponsors,” says Harley-Davidson Africa’s
marketing manager Michael Carney.
his being America, an
enormous proportion
of them are on HarleyDavidson machinery, and
riders from around the world
make the annual pilgrimage,
many hiring Harleys once they
land in the USA. The good
folk of Sturgis in particular
and South Dakota in general
love it, obviously, because an
estimated $800 million flows
into the area. Something similar, although on a smaller scale, has
been happening in Margate on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast
since 2009 but this is organised not independently, but by HarleyDavidson Africa and its tourism partners as a marketing exercise.
Africa Bike Week sees perhaps 20 000 bikers converge on the area
to enjoy a few days of music, partying, and mingling with other
motorcyclists, irrespective of what bikes they ride.
Does it pay off in increased sales? “For us it’s hugely beneficial
due to the diversity, the change in the people who attend,
because we’re seeing the same change in terms of our
customers,” says Carney. “Harley buyers used to be primarily
41 year old plus white males, but we’re now seeing lots more
women coming into the brand, and many more black men and
women as well as increasing numbers of young adults. Certainly
Africa Bike Week, which we deem as an outreach type event, has
had a huge impact on changing the market and that’s great.”
Harley-Davidson dealerships are not franchises, but stand-alone
businesses that buy their stock directly from Milwaukee, while
Cape Town based Harley-Davidson Africa provides guidance on
standards for stores as well as training in marketing, sales and
after-sales service. The brand has a very loyal following and that
has proved immensely useful in running Africa Bike Week every
year since 2009, with most of the 10 South African dealers setting
up tents and stalls selling Harley motorcycles and offering specials
on accessories throughout the week. They and HOG (Harley
Owners Group) members help organise and take part in the running
of the event, which helps keep costs down and interest up. Harley
has three partners with vested interests in Africa Bike Week –
| logistics in action
Rumours have been flying around that Africa Bike Week will move
to Cape Town for 2015. “We still have a year to go on our five-year
contract so 2015 is definitely going to see us in Margate again,”
says Carney. “We still have to
sit down with our partners and
discuss 2016 onwards.
70
JUNE 2014