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“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they have been given than to explore the power they have to change it.” ― Muhammad Ali

Coast to Coast for Farmers is a South African awareness-and-action initiative built around one clear idea: if we want a resilient food system, we need resilient farmers—and right now farming families are under intense pressure. The campaign is riding explicitly under the banner of farmers' mental health support, recognising that the stress farmers face isn’t only financial or operational, but also deeply human.

The organisation behind this initiative, is Design Biologix and UB-Leisure. They frame it plainly: farmers’ mental health is being affected in this current “drought and disease-pressure time”, and the initiative exists to raise both funds and awareness for support.

The goal is not only to “raise awareness” in an abstract sense—it’s to make the public feel the pressures, understand the daily load farmers carry, and then give people and businesses a concrete way to help. The story is meant to be accessible to everyone: whether you’re an urban consumer who wants to support the people behind your food, a brand that depends on agriculture somewhere in your value chain, or a media platform looking for a meaningful national story with momentum.

Most importantly, the Coast to Coast for Farmers is designed to turn compassion into action. It invites the public to follow the journey, share it, and contribute where possible—and it invites companies to put real weight behind the message through partnerships and support. It’s a campaign built for a difficult moment in South African farming, but with an optimistic, “let’s pull together” energy.

The big mission: a coast-to-coast jet ski journey with real grit

At the heart of the initiative is a bold challenge designed to capture the attention and keep it with a jet ski expedition along South Africa’s coastline. The campaign covers a total distance of +- 3000km. The plan is demanding about eight hours a day on the jet ski's, over roughly 16 days, with the timeline explicitly weather dependent. Average daily distance is projected at 180 km, with a proposed launch date of 11 March and ending on the 27th of March 2026.

This isn’t positioned as adrenaline for adrenaline’s sake. The organisers want the journey itself to communicate something about the lived experience of farmers: pushing through uncertainty, dealing with elements you cannot control, and having to show up again tomorrow, regardless of what happened yesterday. The initiative spells out what the trip entails—extreme oceans, unpredictable weather, remote stretches, fuel logistics and a physical toll—this draws a parallel directly to how farmers battle drought, disease, and farming uncertainty in the day-to-day life of a farmer.

Meet The Team

A four-person team will take on the challenge: Louwrens Mahoney is a representative working at UB-Leisure (42), Carlo Smuts (30) the Marketing Manager at Design Biologix, Ruan Jordaan (32), Director and CEO of UB-Leisure and Henry Lubbe (53), a Fresh Produce Processing & Distribution Specialist, all of them riding for the same purpose: mental health support for farmers in South Africa.

Lourens Mahoney is a highly accomplished South African motorcycle racer and well-known motorsport figure, best known as a three-time winner of the prestigious Roof of Africa Hard Enduro. Trading in a motorcycle for a jet ski is no easy task, but his inclusion brings practical leadership when conditions and plans change. Carlo is serving as Design Biologix’s Marketing Manager and is the driving force behind this initiative—helping drive the campaign’s messaging. Henry , is known for his endurance riding career, which will be crucial for the long days and unpredictable ocean conditions. Ruan is a natural entrepreneur with the rare ability to make anything succeed, fuelled by his passion for people, adventure, and the world of motors.

That clarity of purpose—paired with a visually powerful route—makes this a campaign the public can follow, brands can rally behind, and media can cover with fresh angles every day.

Making it human: farmers' stories, coastal stops, and practical support that stays grounded.

Coast to Coast for Farmers is structured to keep the farmers' voices at the centre—because the initiative is ultimately about these individuals, not just the kilometres. A key part of the plan is destination farmer stops in coastal towns, where the team will visit local farmers, film short interviews, and share those stories to highlight the real stories and challenges farmers face.

The approach matters: it keeps the campaign rooted in a shared reality, and it helps the public understand what pressure looks like on the ground—the financial stress, operational uncertainty, isolation, and the emotional toll of carrying responsibility for their animals, staff, families, and the environment they farm on.

This is also where the initiative becomes inviting rather than intimidating. You don’t need to be in agriculture to participate meaningfully. The public can help by following the journey, sharing content, and amplifying farmer stories with respect and consent. Communities along the route can help connect the team with farmers who want to talk or give them to local support networks, that already doing good work. Even small acts—local introductions, a place to charge equipment, a safe stop for a short interview—can become part of the momentum.

Sponsors wanted: a national call for SA companies challenge each other.

A standout feature of Coast to Coast for Farmers is how directly it invites business to participate—and how it encourages participation to grow it into a movement. The proposal’s pitch to organised agriculture and the private sector is clear:

“We are riding 3000 km of coastline. We want this initiative to raise funds and awareness for farmers. We’ll carry your logo across the entire SA coastline. Match what the public raises. Will you partner with us?”

That last line is the driving force of the model: the corporate co-operation approach is designed to amplify the initiative and support the Agri-Industry, on which these companies rely. This makes the initiative especially attractive to companies that want to be visible, giving, and genuinely helpful. Sponsorship here isn’t framed as a once-off donation—it’s framed as a public commitment that can inspire others. The campaign aims to build a healthy “challenge culture”, where one sponsor steps in and then tags, invites, or challenges another sponsor to match or outdo them. That’s how you turn a good cause into a contagious movement.

Importantly, the invitation is not limited to “Agri-Brands”. Any South African company can play a meaningful role, because farmer resilience affects everyone downstream: food prices, supply stability, rural jobs, and broader economic confidence. Sponsors also benefit from being associated with a high-impact, human-centered story that generates compelling visuals and regular updates—ideal for brand storytelling that feels authentic rather than forced.

In short: this is an initiative to back farmers in a tough time, and to do it in a way that the public can actually see—daily, across the coastline.

Why Design Biologix is backing it

The Coast to Coast for Farmers initiative is being driven and supported by Design Biologix (DesignBio), a Pretoria-based animal health company focused on prevention through veterinary vaccines and supplementary products. The business positions itself as a partner in animal wellbeing and has been “pioneering animal health solutions since 1994.”

It’s worth understanding why DesignBio’s involvement fits this initiative. DesignBio’s work is closely tied to the day-to-day realities farmers face: disease prevention, herd and flock wellbeing, and practical support systems that help farmers avoid avoidable losses.

The initiative’s proposal links the current pressure period to mental health strain, and the campaign’s purpose is explicitly to raise funds and awareness for farmer mental health support.

Coast to Coast for Farmers is also proudly supported by UB-Leisure, a proudly South African business built around adventure, mobility, and the outdoors. UB-Leisure’s involvement goes beyond sponsorship — it reflects shared values of resilience, endurance, and practical support.

As a company rooted in adventure and motors, UB-Leisure understands the spirit required to take on a 3,000km coastal journey — and the same grit farmers show every day in the face of unpredictable conditions. Many of the clients UB-Leisure supplies with bikes, boats, and recreational equipment are farmers themselves, making their support of this initiative both personal and purposeful.

By backing the journey, UB-Leisure aligns its brand with a cause that supports not only physical endurance, but mental strength within the agricultural community. Their participation reinforces the message that South African businesses can stand together in support of the people who feed the nation.

In a tough farming season, Design Biologix and UB- Leisure is putting its brand and platform behind a message that says: supporting farmers means supporting the people, not only the production and distribution of products

Partnership Oppurtunity:

If you’re a South African company looking for a meaningful, high-visibility way to stand-out and support farmers, this is your invitation to join the journey. Whether you can contribute gear, products, services, logistics support, safety equipment, fuel, tech, clothing, or anything to helps these four riders go further and tell more farmers’ stories along the coast, your support will become part of a national campaign — and you’ll be recognised as a partner helping to carry farmers’ mental health into the spotlight.

Contact Design Biologix / Coast to Coast for Farmers partnerships:

Design Biologix - info@designbio.co.za,

Telephone - 012 349 2772

WhatsApp – 072 786 0294

442 Rigel Avenue South, Erasmusrand, Pretoria, South AfricaBottom of Form

UB-Leisure / Coast to Coast for Farmers partnerships:

UB-Leisure info@ubleisure.co.za

Telephone – 0123311224

WhatsApp – 072 210 2407

34 Banghoek Cresent the Willows 340-jr Pretoria 0184