Like so many road racers throughout the world, Mathew began racing in motocross at the age of five aboard a Yamaha PW50. From the beginning, he was a winner, and he quickly progressed through the different race classes in the South African national motocross series.
When he was 13, Mathew made the switch to road racing. In 2007, he notched nine race victories and was destined to win the 125cc South African National Championship, but he had to cut his season short because he was invited to try out for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Championship. He got selected, and in 2008, 2009, and 2010, he raced in the Red Bull Rookies Cup--against several U.S. riders, including JD Beach, Jake Gagne, Hayden Gillim, and Benny Solis--where he notched one race win (at Brno in the Czech Republic) and several podium results.
In 2011, 2012, and 2013, Mathew raced in the Spanish CEV, German IDM, and FIM World Supersport Championships