Zippy bikes brought to USA by way of Edna

    Johan Slabbert and his daughter Rene Anderson are the people responsible for bringing a product never before sold in the United States right here to Jackson County. They’re called “Zippy Bikes,” and the father-daughter team is the sole distributer in the nation of the child’s toy.
    Their story begins in Zimbabwe, Africa, a tumultuous nation whose citizens face hyperinflation, forced land redistribution and human rights violations that the average U.S. citizen cannot begin to imagine. Formerly a farmer in the volatile nation, Slabbert says his family had no choice but to leave the grim situation. They are now scattered across the globe making new lives.
    “There are four of us in the family,” he said. “Two went to Australia, one resides in South Africa, and we got a green card and came to America.”
    Slabbert first landed in Georgia, making his living selling roses on the Dutch market. After nearly 10 years in Georgia, he finally settled in Edna, and brought with him the Zippy Bike.
    He remembers trying to find the bike after arriving in the country and being unsuccessful.