Re~Cycle and the ITDP founded Afribike in 1999.

It rapidly expanded the program from its base in South Africa to projects under the World Bank's Rural Travel and Transport program to Guinea Conakry, Ghana, Senegal, Swaziland and Lesotho.

The program was turned into a South African National Department of Transport program by 2002 in and culminated in a Government 1 million new bicycle program called 'Shova Kalula' (pedal easy).