We have been riding together for twelve years.

How it started

“Because we can.”

Proudly Meerkat started on 4 May 2014.

There was a group called Think Bike at the time, and somebody asked on a post why grown men stand up on a motorcycle in a town. I saw the comment and I answered: because we can.

One of the guys on that thread then asked me why I don't just start my own group. I said yes, I'm going to call the thing Meerkat. And he said to me: but you're proud of it.

That is where the name was born. I pressed create group, and because you cannot start a group on your own, I added the two guys I was riding with at the time. Three people on 4 May 2014. Twelve years later we are close to twenty thousand.

Road and dirt, in a safe situation.

But the real reason for the group was not that man's comment. I was riding a 1200 BMW GS at the time, and I wanted people to use the motorcycle for what it was built for — as a dual purpose motorcycle. Road and dirt, in a safe situation.

In 2015 I registered Proudly Meerkat as a company. From 2020 I have done it full time: motorcycle tours, the clothing range, the luggage range, and all the small items a rider needs on the road.

Proudly Meerkat grew thanks to its members. By simply listening to people on the tours, we could add products and drop them as the need changed.

And the group is there for any brand. KTM, BMW, Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, CF Moto — it doesn't matter what you ride. Just that you ride.

— Henri du Toit, founder