
15 - 22 March, 2026
Entries to the Absa Cape Epic sell out, and one method to get your hands on an entry is via Lottery Draw.
Join the legends of mountain biking and claim your place in the untamed heart of Africa. Entry pricing is available for both South African and international riders. Entry notifications were sent via email.
Only South Africans with a valid SA ID number qualify for the SA team entry
All-In Price Per Rider Includes:
General Entry ZAR 66,272.69 Proc. Fees
ZAR 2,286.41 ZAR 9,940.90 VAT
USD exchange rates as of June 9, 2025
All-In Price Per Rider Includes:
General Entry ZAR 66,272.69 Proc. Fees
ZAR 2,286.41 ZAR 9,940.90 VAT
Pricing is subject to change. Additional fees may apply.
NOTE: Payment to be made upon entry, credit card, payment plan and EFT payment options available .
Entries to the Absa Cape Epic sell out, and one method to get your hands on an entry is via Lottery Draw.
Only one Lottery application per rider is accepted. Both riders in a prospective team can enter the Lottery to increase the chance of being awarded an entry. A ZAR150 or USD10 fee* is required to enter the Lottery, which must be paid by credit card before the application is completed.
Lottery applications are done on an individual basis and you do not need your prospective partner's details to enter the Lottery.
Should you be unsuccessful in the first round, your Lottery application will remain valid for the second round. Should you secure an Early Bird entry or accept an invitation through a different channel before the Lottery closes, your Lottery entry will automatically be cancelled in favour of the other invitation.
Successful applicants will be sent an invitation via email to accept the entry and make payment. Successful applicants must accept their invitations and pay the entry fee.
*Funds received via the Lottery will be utilised for legacy trail building & rehabilitation projects. Lottery entry fee is non-refundable
We know that entering the Absa Cape Epic is a significant commitment, which is why we offer a flexible payment plan to make it easier for you. The plan includes 3 installments, with payments due on the following dates:
Payment 1 (50%): At the time of registration, along with any additional purchases added to your order.
Payment 2 (25%): July 1, 2025
Payment 3 (25%): August 1, 2025
Setting up the payment plan is easy - you can select the option during the registration process. If you have any questions, please send us an email: [email protected] and we’d be glad to assist.
Please note: Your registration is only valid when all 3 payments have been made. When choosing the payment plan, you can’t claim any partial refund.
The Absa Cape Epic is open to professional and amateur mountain bikers alike and has seen amateurs from all walks of life compete alongside decorated professional mountain bikers, including both Olympic medalists and World Champions. It is every rider's responsibility to ensure that they arrive at the start with the necessary fitness level to complete a multi-stage mountain bike race.
To be eligible to enter, participants must:
Riders can now manage and review their Epic Series experience all in one place, through the creation of a personalised Epic Series profile.
New features to the Epic Series rider profile includes:
*Note that historic Absa Cape Epic data (pre-2024) will be available in the Absa Cape Epic rider portal and not within the Epic Series rider portal.
Dates are subject to change.
2026 | 15 - 22 March |
2027 | 21 - 28 March |
There are several different race categories at the Absa Cape Epic. Each category has its own age brackets and entry requirements. Please familiarise yourself with the details of each category in the table alongside.
Note: Age is calculated as per 31 December of the year in which the race takes place. Your age group category is selected during your online registration.
Category | Description |
---|---|
UCI Men/Women | Both riders are male/female and have a valid UCI Elite License. |
Open Men/Women | Both riders are male/female and are 19 years or older. |
NTT Masters Men/Women | Both riders are male/female and are 40 years or older. |
GIC Grand Masters Men/Women | Both riders are male/female and are 50 years or older. |
Great Grand Masters Men/Women | Both riders are male/female and are 60 years or older. |
Toyota Mixed | One rider is male and one rider is female. |
A wildcard entry is a guaranteed entry for professional mountain bikers who are contending for podium places in the Absa Cape Epic. Entries are offered at the sole discretion of the organisers.
Who can apply:
Both riders in a team applying for a wildcard entry must:
Please email [email protected] to enquire further.
Each year a number of race entries are reserved for our partner charities. These charities sell their entries at an increased fee. Prospective riders who were unsuccessful in the lottery application process or those who wish to ride in support of a worthy cause can purchase a team entry from one of the Absa Cape Epic's charity partners.
The increased charity entry fee includes the normal entry fee of a standard entry package as well as an additional contribution to the chosen charity. Charity entry fee payments qualify for income tax deductions and prospective riders/teams must contact the charity they wish to support directly to request an entry.
Once the purchase of the entry has been finalised with the respective charity, an electronic invitation to ride the race will be sent to the primary rider's email address.
Please note that following changes may only be made once an entry has been accepted and paid for by the rider to whom the invite was sent.
Rider Change
The riders within a confirmed and paid for team can be changed by completing the following steps:
The following fees apply to the change of riders:
Should the rider change be made after 20 January, every effort will be made to adjust all items to the replacement riders requirements. This however, cannot be guaranteed.
Any rider changes after 1 March can only take place at Registration.
Please note that optional extras are NOT automatically transferred to the new rider. If the new rider will be taking over your optional extras, please contact [email protected].
Full Team Change
If an unregistered team wishes to take over the entry of a registered team, a double rider change can be performed in the online profile. The above associated costs and dates will apply.
Team Withdrawals
Cancellations and refunds are only accepted if riders are able to fill their spot with a new team. In the case of riders not being able to fill the spot themselves.
If a cancellation is approved by the organisers the following terms, conditions and charges will apply:
We highly recommend that riders take out private insurance to cover this possibility.
To avoid the cancellation penalties, a team can arrange for a new team to take their entry. Please refer to the rider changes section for more information.
No refund will be payable if a rider’s entry is cancelled by the race organisers due to ineligibility under the race rules (e.g. being found guilty of a doping offence).
If you wish to cancel your entry, please contact the rider team at [email protected]
Optional Extras
If a team withdraws from the race, their optional extras can be refunded if there is a waiting list or replacement rider to take over the optional extra (e.g. confirmed hotel room). The organisers will try their best to assist with the resale of an available optional extra product but it cannot be guaranteed. Optional extra services purchased cannot be transferred to a future event.
A 15% admin/cancellation fee applies to all optional extra refunds and transfers.
Event Changes & Cancellations
If the event, or any part thereof, is cancelled, postponed, shortened, or modified in any way, or if any of the amenities, goods, or services in relation to the event are no longer provided, whether due to force majeure, legal restrictions, disputes, safety reasons, failure by service providers to perform, or any other reason or cause, the entry fees and all other fees paid will not be refundable.
Teams in the UCI categories will not qualify for age group leader jerseys in Mixed, Amateur, Masters, Grand Masters, and Great Grand Masters categories. Team age group will be determined by the age of the youngest rider in your team.
Both riders are male and have a valid UCI Elite License and are 19 years or older as of 31 December of the year in which the race takes place.
Both riders are female and have a valid UCI Elite License and are 19 years or older as of 31 December of the year in which the race takes place.
One rider is male, and one rider is female. Both riders are 19+ as of 31 December of the year in which the race takes place.
Both riders are male and have a valid UCI Elite License and are 19 years or older as of 31 December of the year in which the race takes place.
Both riders are male and have a valid UCI Elite License and are 19 years or older as of 31 December of the year in which the race takes place.
Both riders are male and have a valid UCI Elite License and are 19 years or older as of 31 December of the year in which the race takes place.
Both riders are male and have a valid UCI Elite License and are 19 years or older as of 31 December of the year in which the race takes place.
Both riders are male and have a valid UCI Elite License and are 19 years or older as of 31 December of the year in which the race takes place.