Soekoe seeks overseas sales

One of three vintage bikes built at Soekoe Biycles in South Africa

LESS than a year after starting a three-man company to build electric bicycles in vintage styles, Desmond Soekoe is looking to expand to open Soekoe Bicycle offices in Durban and Cape Town, as well as in Portugal and Spain. While still small — Soekoe builds only five to 10 bikes a month from its base in Germiston — the made-in-SA bikes sell from R6 000 for a simple motorised bicycle to R22 000 for the first true Soekoe vintage bicycle with a 49 cc petrol engine from China that gives it a top speed of 45 km/h (pictured).
Soekoe said the bikes for Europe will be electric, and the plan is to launch in May, selling from R25 000, using SA-sourced batteries and controllers.