The Langa Bicycle Hub: mobilising transformation through community-based research

When Mzikhona Mgedle founded the Langa Bicycle Hub in 2020, the goal was simple. He wanted to create a place where people from Langa could learn to cycle and fix their bicycles. As COVID-19 drove innovation, bicycles emerged as the best way to transport food and medicine to bed-ridden residents across the township. A coping mechanism evolved into a new source of informal job creation. Mzikhona Mgedle, Diana Sanchez-Betancourt, Andrea Teagle and Timothy Stanton reflect on the potential of collaborative research to improve mobility and public spaces.