Paratus South Africa is supporting the Revived Pulse Foundation for the third consecutive year as a principal event partner for Le Tour de Spirit of the Great Heart.
Paratus South Africa is part of Paratus Group, a leading pan-African telecommunications and network services provider delivering connectivity and digital infrastructure solutions across the continent.
For the third year running, Paratus South Africa is providing Eutelsat OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) connectivity for the six-day, 640km cycling journey, which takes place between 17 and 22 September 2026, and also providing two dedicated support staff and a backup vehicle that will accompany the tour.
The charity ride brings together cyclists, medical professionals, organisers and support teams with a shared purpose: to raise funds and awareness to help South Africans requiring life-saving cardiac care. The route takes the riders through some of the country's most remote landscapes, including Merweville, Sutherland and the Tankwa Karoo, where conventional internet connectivity becomes extremely limited once the tour moves beyond the towns and established coverage areas.
Connectivity is particularly relevant because many of the cyclists participating in Le Tour are medical specialists and healthcare professionals. While they are taking time away from their normal working environments to support Revived Pulse and its life-saving work, their professional responsibilities do not stop.
Reliable internet connectivity allows these professionals to remain in contact with their practices and colleagues and, where necessary, their patients. They can access information, respond to important communications and remain professionally connected while travelling through some of the most remote parts of the country.
For Paratus, the technology is ultimately about enabling people. As the cyclists move through the Karoo and across the Tankwa, the connectivity largely disappears into the background, allowing them to concentrate on the road, the experience and, most importantly, the cause they are riding for.
Managing Director of Paratus South Africa, Kallie Carlsen, says: “At Paratus, we often talk about having the right team and the right gear to get the job done. Le Tour brings that philosophy to life. It takes committed people, the right support and the right technology to take on a journey like this successfully. We are proud that our people and our connectivity form part of that team, supporting Revived Pulse and the cyclists as they take on an extraordinary challenge for an incredibly worthwhile cause. For us, this is what partnership is about – showing up, getting involved and playing our part.”
Founder of the Revived Pulse Foundation, Faan Botha, says: “This cause is very personal to me. I was fortunate enough to receive a donated cardiac device when I needed it, and I know first-hand what that second chance means. Revived Pulse was started to help give that same chance to people who may otherwise not have access to it, and Le Tour has become an important part of making that possible. When you embark on a journey like this through the Karoo and the Tankwa, you need good people around you. You need to know you can depend on them. Over the past three years, Paratus has become part of that team. They don't just provide the connectivity – their people get on the road with us, and they get involved and help wherever they can. As a farmer, I appreciate people who turn up, do what they say they are going to do and get the job done. That's what we have found in Paratus, and that's why today I regard them as part of the Le Tour family.”
For more information about the Revived Pulse Foundation, visit www.revivedpulse.org.
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