In 2002 BEN initiated a bicycle tourism programme in the Masiphumelele community of Cape Town in conjunction with AWOL Tours as its tourism partner. AWOL's guests hire bicycles from the BEN IBD's and we then conduct a tour of Masiphumelele incorporating local businesses.

To date 1980 guests have visited the community and R380,000 worth of income has been generated and put into circulation in the local township as part of tourism services and fees paid to business owners. These monies have created sustainable work opportunities for the guides, and bolstered the existing local businesses by adding to their clientele. These businesses have become increasingly stable, and in turn have supported individual livelihoods and families within this vulnerable economic and social setting. Up to 80% of turnover from each tour is paid to local service providers and generated back into the local economy.

In 2006 at the World Travel Centre in London BEN through the efforts of AWOL Tours as its tourism partner was the winner of the First Choice Responsible Tourism Award for the category "Best for Innovation and Technology". The First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards are the largest of their kind in the world and are collaboration between Responsible Travel; UK media (The Times and Geographical Magazine); Conservation International; and The World Travel. The central tenet of the Awards is that all types of tourism - from niche to mainstream - can and should be operated in a way that respects and benefits destinations and local people.

In 2008, the AWOL Bicycle Township tours received Fair Trade and Tourism status and we hope to continually expand and improve the community aspect of our tours and strive to create sustainable livelihoods for the people in Masiphumelele. Also in 2008 and 2011, the bicycle township tour was finalist in the Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards in the category Best practice - economic impact.

In 2009, Sally Petersen the Director of BEN was nominated as a finalist in the City of Cape Town's 'Women in Tourism' awards. BEN's OV fietse will be available for rental at the V&A Waterfront over summer to increase awareness of BEN and the upside of cycling. In the future Sally Petersen plans to raise funds to increase marketing and promotion of its tourism products within the tourism industry and provide ongoing education and raising awareness of the environmental upside of cycling and the entrepreneurial potential of viable community tourism businesses. The BEN Tourism model has proved to be successful in one community and is replicable in other areas across Southern Africa. Given the resources, funding and community willingness, it is certainly possible to do this on a bigger scale and have a substantially greater impact.