“I didn’t come from an easy upbringing.” That’s the first thing Craig Atkinson says when asked about the path that led him from a tough childhood in South Africa to becoming a purpose-driven entrepreneur transforming lives through Green Riders. His story doesn’t begin with privilege or polished diplomas. It begins with loss, grit, and a raw love for music and BMX bikes.
Craig’s father passed away when he was just eight years old. “My mom, who singlehandedly raised me, passed away during my matric prelims,” he recalls. “To be honest, I struggled in school. I went to a government school that often didn’t have teachers for certain subjects.” Despite the odds, he kept a promise to his mother, to finish school, and did so against all expectations. “She knew that if she didn’t ask me, I probably would have dropped out.”
With no access to tertiary education, “well, that’s what I used to say,” he admits, “but the truth is my grades didn’t meet the minimum requirements either” Craig already knew by the age of 14 that the corporate world was not for him. “That idea actually scared me. All I knew was that I loved two things: music and bikes.
From BMX tricks to drumming, those passions became lifelines. After high school, Craig and his best friend Brandon headed to England with barely anything but dreams and a tent. “We lived in a tent, ate bully beef and oats every day, and spent virtually no money, except for two rock festivals that were on my bucket list.”
Odd jobs led him to Elmo Blinds, a factory job that made him feel “trapped.” But a moment of curiosity changed everything. “I raised my hand about 10 times with questions,” he says of a staff meeting. Instead of being reprimanded, the managing director gave him a life-changing opportunity: “I want you to float around the company, observe everything like it’s your business.”
By the time his contract ended, Craig could run the entire factory with his eyes closed and he’d found his calling. “That’s when I knew I wanted to be a businessman.”
The Music Man with a Mission
Returning to South Africa, he co-founded JamPacked Productions with his best friend Genevieve Olivier, an events company that raised millions for wildlife conservation. The company brought over 30 international artists to Southern Africa, many of them for the very first time. He gave fans unforgettable experiences with stars like Toni Braxton, Jason Derulo, James Blunt, and Trey Songz.
But behind the spotlight, Craig’s work was driven by more than applause. “We gave away over 10,000 free tickets to fans in Zimbabwe who couldn’t afford to attend,” he shares. “That was important to me, music should unite, not exclude.”
He didn’t stop there. Seeing a gap in the music industry’s training pipeline, Craig founded a music institution in Cape Town, where he trained over 3,000 students in music industry skills. “We grew to six locations and taught over 3,000 students. It wasn’t just about events. I wanted to create real access, for performers, for fans, for youth looking to break into an industry that often shuts them out.”
But when COVID hit, everything collapsed. “We made the call to shut down in 2021. I packed a backpack and moved to Cape Town to start something new.”
The Birth of Green Riders
That something was Green Riders, an electric bike startup with a mission far beyond mobility. “Green Riders is not just an eBike rental company,” Craig explains. “We’re mindset mentors, giving people the opportunity to thrive while educating and mentoring them to become the best version of themselves.”
Electric bikes were already on Craig’s radar before the pandemic. He had tested 15 different variations. “Music had served me from age 14 to 33, but now I needed a new challenge.” That challenge became Green Riders, a company with a powerful mission at its core.
“What inspired me was simple, South Africa has the highest unemployment rate in the world. I saw an opportunity in a growing market and believed we could make a massive difference by betting on our youth.”
“I didn’t want to just build a company, I wanted to build an army of good people, role models. Young people who care about their communities, the environment, and the people around them. while still earning a living and creating generational wealth.”
Green Riders isn’t just about eBikes. “We train underprivileged young people and equip them with the tools of the trade, including eco-friendly electric bikes, to launch their careers.”
The company, headquartered in Cape Farms, Milnerton in Cape Town, now includes more than 900 people in its network, with around 60 full-time staff at HQ. The twin vision? “Create 50,000 jobs. Decarbonize the last-mile delivery industry.”
Pioneering an Industry That Didn’t Exist
“When we started, there were almost no electric vehicles in the local delivery space. Going green wasn’t even a priority,” Craig recalls. But everything changed in 2023, when sustainability took center stage globally. “Companies wanted to go green, and government started applying pressure to the industry through new policies.”
Green Riders positioned itself not just as a delivery solution but as a blueprint for what South Africa’s future could look like. “We helped shape the narrative around the importance of decarbonizing last-mile delivery. Being adaptable and values-driven has kept us ahead of the curve.”
Millions Lost, Lessons Gained
“There are countless challenges, daily ones, but as an entrepreneur, you learn to embrace them.”
Craig doesn’t sugarcoat the hardships. “We’ve written off over R20 million in investments on things that didn’t work, from hardware to rollout strategies and operations.”
Still, he has no regrets. “We taught ourselves everything and continue to do so every day.”
Changing Cities, One Parade at a Time
One of Craig’s proudest accomplishments? Ride4Change. “It was a massive parade joined by over 600 people, in partnership with Prince William’s Earthshot Prize and several other stakeholders.”
Focused on townships like Langa, Gugulethu, and Mitchells Plain, the initiative brought visibility to areas “trapped by highways, disconnected from the city. There are no legal ways to walk or cycle out of these communities.”
Through partnerships with SDI and The Young Urbanist NPC, Green Riders helped establish Cape Town’s first official Safe Passage route. “If you don’t have R40+ for a taxi round trip, how are you meant to hand out CVs or find work?”
The goal? “A fully micro-mobility-safe Cape Town within the next two years.”
Doing Good Is Not a Side Hustle
Beyond his work with Green Riders, Craig is deeply involved in community-driven initiatives that reflect his belief in the power of small acts to drive big change. Through a partnership with Seriti on the Do-Good-Dash campaign, he’s helped spark real, hands-on impact.
“Over the past eight weeks alone,” he shares, “we’ve cleaned and sorted donations at the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, cleared over 90kg of waste from Cape Town rivers with Save A Fishie, and partnered with UTurn to collect and distribute clothing, clothing over 200 people in local homeless shelters.”
Their work also includes sponsoring township sports days, providing kits, medals, and trophies for netball, football, athletics, and boxing tournaments, in partnership with the City of Cape Town. For Craig, this isn’t just volunteerism, it’s woven into his mission.
“This kind of work isn’t side work, it’s part of our identity.”
Start Small, Think Big and Never Quit.
Craig offers grounded advice to future founders: “Don’t go big off the bat. That was my biggest mistake. In 2021, we brought in 100 eBikes and it failed horribly.”
Hardware, he warns, is not forgiving. “If a bike has 20 critical components and just 2 are substandard, it can cripple your operations.”
His advice: “Start small. Get your sample fleet perfect. Then scale. And lastly never quit. That’s just lame. Fail if you have to, but quitting? I don’t understand that concept. Just keep going.”
Revolutionizing Batteries and the Future
Craig’s next big play is technological. “We’re launching Africa’s first XFS battery and it’s a game changer.”
XFS, or Extreme Fast Charging, is a sustainable alternative to lithium batteries. “It can charge from 0% to 90% in just 8 minutes. It’s safe, non-toxic, non-flammable, and has a 5 to 8 times longer lifecycle.”
More than an innovation, it’s a statement: “This isn’t just a product innovation, it’s a sustainability milestone for the continent.”
Vision Over Fear
“The biggest lesson? When things get uncomfortable, when doubt creeps in… pause. Step back.”
Craig turns to deep meditation and visualization to stay grounded. “I remind myself: my purpose is my vision. Even if the road is unclear, that doesn’t mean the outcome has changed.”
He’s even inked his body with reminders. “I need it constantly. You have to trust the process, whether you believe in God, the universe, energy, or whatever higher power connects with you.”
His final message? “Focus on what you can control, and let the rest unfold.”
