- 5/27/2025
The racing cyclists of Burundi have a dangerous job. But it’s a vital one for Burundi’s economy. Bicycles are the main means of transportation in one of the smallest countries in Africa. Bananas, the staple food in Burundi, are transported from the markets to a banana beer brewing factory. We accompany Tharcien, a bike courier, on his exhausting cross country trip on the Burundi Highway. #FreeDocumentary #MostDangerousRoads #Documentary#Adrenaline
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TVTranscript
00:00The racing cyclists of Burundi are not afraid to take risks.
00:25Whoever wants to transport goods in Burundi does so by bike.
00:32Distances are short, Burundi is one of the smallest countries in Africa.
00:40It's very dangerous and fatal for the cyclists to hold on to the trucks.
01:11Burundi lies in the heart of Africa.
01:16The main traffic route winds itself from the Rwandan border down to Tanzania.
01:23The first section of the route leads from Kayansa to Bugarama.
01:33Burundi is poor, even though the land is fertile.
01:37On the northern plateau, mostly bananas are grown, dozens of different types.
01:42Bananas are the staple food in Burundi.
01:45At the outskirts of Kayansa, the biggest city in this region, the farmers sell them to middlemen.
01:53Twice a week, Pamphlet Nzagwe does his bulk buying here.
02:10He is a professional beer brewer, a banana beer brewer.
02:14Banana beer is Burundi's national drink.
02:17Tasien Manerakitsa is responsible for the transport.
02:29Farmer Pamphlet does not dare to cycle the loaded bike himself.
02:33Even if you're an experienced rider, you put your life at risk.
02:42First I ask for the price.
02:46Then I buy three types, just three.
02:49A sweet type of banana, a flowery one, and one that's less dear.
02:56Obviously, the mixture is important.
02:59The beer is supposed to be tasty.
03:14I know nothing about brewing.
03:17That's why I'm a driver and I'm happy to be able to transport Pamphlet's bananas.
03:21That's how I struggle alone.
03:23Whenever he is not transporting bananas, Tasien offers rides on his bicycle taxi.
03:47Tasien has loaded eight clusters onto his bike.
03:50Together they make up for 160 kilos.
03:52He has to transport them 15 kilometers.
03:55Luckily, the first part is downhill.
04:26Three kilometers from his destination, there is a long ascent.
04:41Now Tasien must really pedal.
04:48Tasien is 22 years old. He never went to school.
04:55Riding my bike is all I'm good at.
04:57I never did anything else.
04:59I don't even want to, except if I found less tiring work.
05:04I definitely don't want to be carrying anything on top of my head like the women do.
05:09It's exhausting to pedal, yes, but carrying things on my head, no way.
05:16After 45 minutes, Tasien reaches his destination, the banana beer brewer's village.
05:33Burundi is one of the poorest countries in Africa.
05:36Owning a bike is worth a great deal here.
05:39But Tasien must already support a wife and two kids in his early twenties.
05:50How can I save money with a job like this?
05:53It's just about enough to sustain my family and myself, nothing more.
05:57Look, I can't even afford new trousers.
06:00I am no dreamer. This job holds no future whatsoever.
06:11Panfil has been brewing banana beer, Mbubira, on the farm next to his house and is in for 15 years now.
06:24He lets the bananas ripen in a pit for another week.
06:29The farmer can only process the bananas if they have developed enough sweetness.
06:34Otherwise, the fermentation process might not take place properly.
06:38Bananas with a thick skin are especially well suited for producing banana beer.
06:52His own family and a few workers from the village assist Panfil with the production.
07:11The workers use fresh, cleaned hay to help them squeeze out the liquid.
07:15The hay also creates Panfil's banana beer's special flavour.
07:41My life as a beer brewer is a good one, really.
07:44I make good money and I am able to pay the workers' wages.
07:48I will never be rich, of course.
07:51I mean, we can't afford to buy new shoes and things like that.
07:54But I don't have to go around stealing things.
07:57The family has enough to eat and we can send the kids to school.
08:00Nobody tells me what to do and I don't need to go chasing after my money.
08:04I am my own master.
08:13It's still only banana juice.
08:23To turn it into beer, the liquid has to be stored for a few days.
08:27The brewer's yeast allows for fermentation.
08:33It takes two days for the beer to be right.
08:36Two bottles of this and everything spins round.
08:40But right now it's unfermented. It doesn't make you tipsy.
08:46But the beer Panfil serves in his inn does.
08:49He doesn't know the alcohol percentage. He never measured it.
09:03Bicycle courier Tarsian drinks only after the work has been done.
09:07Drunk driving, much too dangerous when you're on the road of the racing cyclists.
09:23Here in the north, not only bananas are grown, but also coffee, tea and rice.
09:39The road leading to the banana beer brewer's village continues on leading south.
09:44To Boyombora, the capital city of Burundi, it's a hundred kilometres.
09:48And it's up and down the hill the whole way.
10:15The road serves as a transit route between Rwanda and Tanzania.
10:19Antoine Kabura has been driving it for ten years with his truck.
10:23Normally he only drives during daytime. Driving at night would be too risky.
10:34The roads are alright, but much too narrow, sometimes not even six metres wide.
10:41Oncoming traffic often poses problems.
10:43You must always avoid the potholes and these many bends.
10:47Luckily I'm a good driver, but for a main road it's definitely too narrow.
10:53Antoine arrives at Gitega, the second largest city of Burundi with 45,000 inhabitants.
11:06Alex Iradukunda works as a reporter for the local radio station, Humorisa.
11:11Her job is to report on the traffic, which primarily means the situation for the cyclists.
11:20Tell me, what are the difficulties?
11:23For us cyclists, the trucks are worse. They make life difficult for us.
11:33I hear this over and over again. They complain about the trucks.
11:38It really is a tough and exhausting job, not to mention the bike thieves.
11:42Their numbers are increasing. It's bad when the bike is gone.
11:46And don't forget the accidents and injuries.
11:57Gitega, situated in the centre of the country, used to be the capital of the Kingdom of Burundi.
12:03It was also the administrative centre at the turn of the century, from the 19th to the 20th century,
12:08when Burundi was a German colony.
12:10Today, the city is an important traffic junction.
12:2426 reporters work for Radio Humorisa. Alex is done with her report on the cyclists.
12:34It's difficult for the cyclists here, even those just transporting other people.
12:40But for those who transport bulky goods, it's even more difficult.
12:44But they have no choice. Their wives and kids need something to eat.
13:04Another 60 kilometres to Buyumbura. Uphill, downhill.
13:12Antoine Cabura could drive faster, but he knows what's happening behind him, so he doesn't want to risk an accident.
13:19Whoever wants to save time and energy holds on to his truck.
13:23Antoine finds this really annoying.
13:34What they are doing poses a lethal hazard, not only for them, but also for us truck drivers.
13:39I often have to abruptly dodge due to approaching traffic or because of a pothole.
13:44The cyclists that are holding on to the truck can't see it coming.
13:49They're surprised by it and crash.
13:52Today, the cyclists who are holding on to the truck can't see it coming.
13:57The cyclists that are holding on to the truck can't see it coming.
14:00They're surprised by it and crash.
14:03Terrible. I often see it in the rear mirror. Some die.
14:07I think they should stop it. It's prohibited, too.
14:27Eric Nitsitunga has been transporting bananas from the north to the capital for five years.
14:32He fixed 14 clusters to his carrier. That's about 250 kilos, a lot, even by Burundian standards.
14:49I have to tie the bananas to the carrier in such a way that the centre of gravity lies in the middle.
14:57One mistake and I would lose my balance in the curves and crash.
15:02I also have to make sure that the bananas don't get bruised.
15:15Even Eric can't resist the temptation to let himself be pulled up the hill.
15:20It doesn't always turn out well.
15:27Some road sections are unpaved, difficult to drive for the truck drivers.
15:32There are some drummers with their heavy instruments along the road near Gishora.
15:37Their destination is a nearby hill.
15:40It is considered the cradle of the Burundian art of drumming.
15:45They used to perform before the kings.
15:47Today they play the drums for the kings.
15:50A few years ago, my mother, also called the kings.
15:55This is a tradition in the city of Konkan that's been kept alive for a long time.
16:02This is a tradition in the city of Konkan that's been kept alive for a long time.
16:09But today, the kings think that it's their tradition.
16:14Today they play the drums for whoever pays and to preserve peace.
16:18Just a few years ago Burundi saw the end of a long civil war.
16:44The 74-year-old Antime Baranspekave is the leader of the Kishora master drummers.
16:53I became a drummer because my ancestors were drummers.
16:58My great-grandfather, my grandfather, my father, they all drummed for the kings.
17:05This tradition must survive.
17:14The police have been checking more often on the Burundi highway lately.
17:36A welcome opportunity for the street vendors to offer their products.
17:41A nuisance for the drivers.
17:47Security check, the horn, blinkers and headlights.
17:56I check the papers and inspect the vehicles. It's all about increasing safety on the road.
18:03The officers also punish cyclists that hold onto trucks.
18:14Whoever gets caught must pay a fine.
18:17Eric the courier puts up with that.
18:25I think the cyclists should really stop holding onto our trucks.
18:33Too many accidents happen because of it. It should be banned.
18:38The police should enforce it.
18:41Or the cyclists could fix a little engine to their bikes for going uphill.
18:49Eric heard the policeman's whistle just in time to let go.
19:05The Burundi government has almost doubled the amount of traffic policemen over the last
19:10years.
19:11Too many accidents occur on the roads in Burundi, also due to technical defects.
19:16But the main problem are the racing cyclists.
19:23More action should be taken against these cyclists holding onto trucks.
19:27It's simply too dangerous. It is prohibited, but they just won't respect us.
19:35Another 40 kilometers to Buyumbura.
19:49The closer you get to the capital, the busier the narrow road becomes.
20:05The Kibera National Park, with its 400 square kilometers, runs along a small side road.
20:13Once the splendid mountain forest used to be the king's holy hunting grounds.
20:20The Batu National Park is one of the most beautiful places in Burundi.
20:50The Adifa live in a small village close to the national park, in Busikera.
20:54Up until a few years ago, the hunters and gatherers lived in the midst of the rainforest.
20:59In 2007, the government decided to transfer them to the area next to the main road.
21:05Viola Iduvimana is 40 years old and has 8 kids.
21:14I was born and raised in the jungle, because life is not easy.
21:19I have to collect wood and have to fetch water from far away. That's exhausting.
21:24But I enjoy the pottery. I learned it when I was a kid, watching my mom work.
21:31Now I can sustain my family with my pottery.
21:35I'm teaching my kids how to do it too. That's why it's going so well for us here.
21:43Next door, the men sit together and carve wood.
21:48They have lost their traditional hunting grounds since the resettlement.
21:53But being so close to the main road opens new opportunities for them and their families.
22:00They can now sell their carvings and pottery to travelers.
22:13About 500 people live in Busikera. More than half of them are children.
22:18Apart from their handicrafts, the Batwa are farmers and breed cattle on the land they were granted by the government.
22:42The next stage on the cyclist's road leads from Bugarama to the capital city, Buyumbura.
23:04Already early in the morning, the first cyclists are on their way to supply the markets.
23:09Bugarama cyclists are famous throughout the whole country.
23:12They transport the heaviest and bulkiest goods and are the fastest riders.
23:22Bugarama, situated at the southern tip of the Kibera National Park, is a traffic junction.
23:28Two federal roads meet here and unify to lead to the capital of Burundia.
23:40Bicycle courier Eric lives near Bugarama.
23:44The bananas here are cheaper than in the capital.
23:47Today, one cluster costs 8,000 Burundian francs, about 4 euros.
23:52Together with his girlfriend, Eric lives in a small house right on the road to Buyumbura.
23:58They have no children yet. They want to wait until Eric has found a less dangerous job.
24:09I don't have any children.
24:32The 200-kilo load literally pushes Eric downhill.
24:37He quickly reaches speeds of up to 60 to 70 kilometers an hour.
24:41He can't apply the brakes. His tires would burst.
25:02If the roads are wet, you're likelier to slip.
25:05But since he can't apply the brakes, he must wait for the next ascent.
25:10Until then, it's brace yourself and hope for the best.
25:23Nobody knows just how many accidents occur and how many cyclists are actually involved.
25:29There is no such thing as traffic statistics in Burundi.
25:33Often the poor condition of the bikes is responsible.
25:44The last ascent up to Buyumbura is tough.
25:48Without help, no one would manage to move forward.
25:51And so a new profession emerged, the pushing assistant.
25:55The men earn 10 cent for the 15-minute tour.
26:04At the end of the long ascent, a little shop offers food and beverages.
26:08Eric doesn't always have enough money to buy something for himself after this exhausting ascent.
26:14Lucia, the shop assistant, knows Eric and puts it on the tab if he can't pay.
26:20She feels for the cyclists.
26:24This work takes up a lot of energy.
26:26You need to be really strong in order to do this.
26:32This work takes up a lot of energy.
26:46You need to be really strong in order to do this, especially if you have to push the fully
26:56loaded bike uphill.
26:59Even it weighs more than 200 kilos, so you need lots of energy.
27:07That's why I eat mainly carbs, for example corn, and I drink hot milk every day.
27:26From here to Bujumbura is another 15 kilometers, and it's only downhill.
27:40Eric trusts his steering abilities.
27:43He doesn't have much choice.
27:45He already had quite a few accidents, but up to now, he only suffered some bruises and
27:50bone fractures.
28:04Arrival in Bujumbura.
28:05The cyclists have to push their way through the traffic of this lively metropolis.
28:16The first shop Eric is delivering to lies at the far end of the city.
28:24There are many little shops and restaurants along the capital streets.
28:29Most of them can't afford professional advertising.
28:32That's why they hire artists like Clovis Milamwe.
28:35The 26-year-old makes a living of that.
28:54I'm an artist, but if people ask me, I'd also do ads for them.
29:03I take between 100,000 and 150,000 Burundian francs for such a picture.
29:09It's not bad.
29:14That would amount to the equivalent of 50 to 75 euros.
29:20Bujumbura is the largest city in Burundi.
29:23It is the economic center of the country.
29:26400,000 people live here.
29:35It takes a very specific technique to park the bicycle in such a way that it doesn't
29:39fall down with the 200 kilo load on it.
29:47Five times a week, Eric delivers two banana clusters to the little shop.
29:52For each cluster, he gets 12,000 Burundian francs.
29:56That's 6 euros, 2 euro of an income remain.
30:13Here in the heavy traffic of the city, the challenge for Eric is of a different kind
30:17compared to his cross-country ride.
30:20It's not about steep ascents, downhill racing or the struggle with truck drivers and the
30:24police.
30:26The difficulty lies in maintaining the balance and being careful not to get hit by other
30:30vehicles, because then he'd fall.
30:41The Sioni market is in the northwest of the capital.
30:4585 out of 100 Burundians work in agriculture, and they all try to sell their surplus on
30:50the markets.
30:58Since the main market in the city center burnt down in 2013, the number of traders
31:03and customers at the Sioni market has doubled.
31:07One of the reasons being the government banning the street trade.
31:11Everyone had to turn to the remaining markets.
31:24Alice Sindaye is 42 years old.
31:27She has been working as a market woman for 10 years now.
31:30When the main market burnt down, she not only lost both of her stands, but all her goods
31:35went up in flames too.
31:37She had to start again from scratch.
31:52I have four kids and no husband.
31:54When the market burnt down and the hard times began, he just ran off.
31:58He never gave me any money to feed the kids and myself.
32:01I had to take out a credit loan.
32:03God helped us along, and I was able to build up a new stand here.
32:14Eric delivers bananas to Alice as well.
32:16Today he is running late due to the rain.
32:20Normally he would get 15,000 Burundian francs for a cluster of bananas.
32:29Would you lower the price a bit?
32:30I can only pay 10,000.
32:34Today Alice pays Eric 5 euros per cluster, which makes 1 euro an hour for Eric to keep.
32:48With the thousands of cyclists in Burundi, there is always something to repair or to
32:53patch.
32:54You'll find bicycle repair shops everywhere in Burundi, especially near the markets where
32:59most cyclists deliver their goods.
33:07Alexandre Tassis has been the boss here for five years.
33:11Most bicycles in his shop come from China and break down easily.
33:16These bikes are basically like all the others.
33:19We have to reinforce the carrier with iron bars.
33:22Good tires are important though.
33:28My courier Eric also comes here if he has enough money to afford new tires.
33:33The work is being done fast here, and he gets some good advice as well.
33:38Almost a hundred mechanics work for Alexandre.
33:47Some customers live nearby, but most of them come from far away, for example from Gatumba
33:54or Bugurama.
33:57Some are foreigners coming from the Congo to have their bikes repaired here.
34:02They trust me.
34:07Eric appears unruffled by the fact that he has to spend a portion of his narrow income
34:11in order to keep his bike in good shape.
34:15It's very important to change tires.
34:18They were totally worn out.
34:20If there's rain like today, you can easily slip and fall.
34:24The tires burst more easily too, especially when you brake.
34:27I already patched the tube four times.
34:29It's just too dangerous.
34:35Eric cycles back to Bugurama on new tires.
34:47The Burundi racing cyclists have divided up the district.
34:51There are those who cycle in from the north and go back in the evening.
34:55The others serve the southern route.
35:05The Burundi highway runs along the banks of Lake Tanganyika for 200 kilometers heading
35:11south, right up to the Tanzanian border.
35:28Instead of bananas, people grow lots of oil palms here.
35:31They are being transported on bicycles as well.
35:35A bunch can weigh up to 50 kilos.
35:41The landscape in the south of Burundi is less hilly than in the north, so the bike couriers
35:46can travel greater distances, up to 100 kilometers per day.
35:55If I don't have so much to carry, I enjoy my work.
35:59Like today, that's fine.
36:01I'm bringing the fruits to a palm oil factory.
36:04I then load the filled oil cans and take them to the market, where they're sold.
36:13The job is all right, so long as you hold the road well and don't have to worry about
36:20crashing in the curves.
36:21It's then I enjoy the work.
36:32Faustin Dabazanya's palm grove is situated directly on the main road.
36:37Together with his son Patrick, he looks for ripe fruits, which he can later process in
36:42his palm oil factory, which is 10 kilometers away.
36:46Patrick is a gifted climber.
37:01Even though we are next to the lake, the soil is dry and sandy, which is not good for
37:10the palms.
37:11They don't grow properly and bear little fruit, but we are lucky.
37:16Our soil contains many nutrients, in spite of the nearby lake.
37:25That's why our palms are so tall and strong, and the oil tastes well too.
37:39Only when the fruits have taken on an orange-red color are they ripe for harvesting and are
37:44easy to pick.
37:50Patrick transports the crop from his father's palm oil grove to the oil factory himself.
37:55They have to be kept there for a few days before they can be processed to oil.
38:00Patrick much prefers climbing up the trees to carrying the heavy load on his bike.
38:22I still go to school, and I only do this in my spare time to earn some money.
38:27Later I want to take on a proper job, but right now I do both, work as a bike courier
38:32and study.
38:45Lake Tanganyika is the second largest lake in Africa.
38:49It shapes the landscape in southern Burundi.
38:52The river bank is lined with little fishing villages along the road.
38:56Nyongabo slowly comes to life.
39:10At 6 a.m. the men return from fishing.
39:13They spent the whole night out on the lake.
39:16Today they didn't catch much, the waves were too high.
39:27For a few years now, they are only allowed to fish every second week, in order to protect
39:31the fish stock.
39:39Cesar Salvatore has been a fisherman for eight years now.
39:46I believe the fishing restrictions are a good thing.
39:49It gives us fishermen a rest, and we get to spend more time with our families.
39:55And the fish can breed in those seven days.
39:58It's a good thing.
40:22After school, Patrick earns some extra money working as a bicycle courier.
40:26He doesn't have to sustain a family, so he feels less pressure.
40:39The bike courier has arrived at Faustin's palm oil factory.
40:43The production is in full process.
40:47The ripe fruits are loosened from the bunches and are cleaned, first of all.
41:06The oil manufacturer has meanwhile gotten used to the traffic and the ado on the adjacent
41:11road.
41:12Faustin has been in the palm oil business for three years now.
41:24The oil palm means a lot to us.
41:27It always gives us oil, which we can use for cooking.
41:30We use the palm fronds as broomsticks.
41:33The remaining pips we use to make soap or shampoo.
41:39The fibers, also a by-product, help to light a fire.
41:43An oil palm provides everything we humans need.
41:52About 20 palm oil farmers have joined in a cooperative and operate the old squeezing
41:57machine together.
41:59Everyone can process his own fruit there.
42:08Faustin is checking the production flow.
42:11The water cools the machine so the oil doesn't go rancid.
42:31Twenty families make their living from this.
42:35Their existence, as well as the economy of the whole country, depends on the timely deliverance
42:41of fresh supplies.
42:50The racing cyclists of Burundi will take care of that.
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