There’s a broad grin on his face. He’s proud to share his story. I too am eager to hear about it. Victor, originally from midlands Soweto, grew up watching his father manage the taxi business which he owned. The taxi industry in South Africa is notoriously plagued by violence and brutal killings. Victor’s dad did not want that for his children. With his father being a business owner, you can say that the natural progression of eventually becoming an entrepreneur was instilled in Victor at a young age. Helping his dad fix taxis so that they could be on the road to cart passengers the next day was an essential part of Victor’s youth.
“Respect…Respect for yourself and people around you.”
After matriculating in 1989, Victor attended further studies in Mafikeng during the following year. Having originally planned to become an auto electrician, the maximum intake of auto electrical students for that year was full. Rather than returning to Soweto, where the opportunities were few , Victor opted to join the Mechanics course. In 1994 he completed his studies and returned home to his parents.
One day a friend of his father arrived with an issue with his car and asked Victor to have a look at it, which he did and fixed it. That day an informal business was born, as word of mouth spread. The business then grew, bursting out of the seams of the backyard of his father’s house. After many complaints and on the fifth threat by metro police to force closure of the workshop, Mdu from Filpro arrived. The year was 2012 and together with the program, Victor found a home for his fledgling business, the very place we find ourselves today, ten years later.
“This business helped me get married buy paying lebola and buying a house in 2017.”
We are talking about the Golf R32 parked in the corner. I recognised it from the chrome grill detailing. He takes me closer and points to the massive hole in the sump. “Attempted hijacking“, Victor shrugs. In South Africa, a ploy used by hijackers is to leave rocks on the road on dark highways. This customer was lucky. He got away. These are the unique problems Victor needs to solve.
Thanks to load shedding, our chat is conducted under near darkness in his office. Another one of the many challenges businesses like Victor’s face. Volkswagen is his speciality, one of the most popular car brands in South Africa and one that will keep Victor busy for many more years to come.
Victor is knowledgeable and wants to share his knowledge with the community, along with acquiring bigger premises, when we’re on the topic of future business plans. I like the licence to dream that Filpro has enabled.
Victor can rap off part codes like it’s no one’s business. I’m impressed. Perhaps that was the intention. I’m even more impressed with the adoption of mobile smartphones and how they have become computers for entrepreneurs like Victor. Essential functions like Email/WhatsApp to handle parts ordering and customer relations, Google searches for parts, calling and even a torch during load shedding. We’ve come a long way with the help of basic smartphones. Imagine what we could do with more?
Victor takes pride in assisting the youth, and although interrupted by Covid in May 2021, schools in Soweto have sent students to be on-site, learning the trade directly from Victor. All these students have since gone on and created their own businesses. It’s a growth trait that Victor encourages.
Everyone in the community knows to take their Volkswagen to Victor and even though there are a few mechanics in close proximity, he has his respected and uncontested niche. In so doing he has smartly aligned himself with one of the most popular brands in South Africa, developing an empathetic consideration for the community when it comes to helping fix cars. He will often perform callouts to homes to diagnose broken vehicles and, where possible, fix them there. It is the opportunities that Filpro has helped provide that has given Victor the tools to assist in this way.
Everyone in the community knows to take their Volkswagen to Victor and even though there are a few mechanics in close proximity, he has his respected and uncontested niche. In so doing he has smartly aligned himself with one of the most popular brands in South Africa, developing an empathetic consideration for the community when it comes to helping fix cars. He will often perform callouts to homes to diagnose broken vehicles and, where possible, fix them there. It is the opportunities that Filpro has helped provide that has given Victor the tools to assist in this way.
Another recent challenge was the riots and looting in July 2021 which caused billions of Rands of damage to massive corporations and smaller businesses like Victor’s in these affected areas. Victor paused to emphasise the darkness during that time.
“We were prepared to protect what is ours…what we had built up”, pointing to a retail business across the road that wasn’t as fortunate to survive. We later learnt that looters came within 6 metres but were fended off before moving elsewhere.
It’s not long before we’ve wrapped up our serious chat and are laughing with Bongani and Mdu from Filpro, a bond that Victor deeply respects and appreciates. I’m amazed at how humans can create such magic when working on a socially uplifting project like this. So much has transformed since those initial backyard introductions when Filpro started in 2012, we need to remind ourselves. I wish this project could expand and impact more and that others could witness what these engagements mean to men like Victor who have, thanks to Filpro, overcome countless odds.
I’m convinced that, in another life, Victor could have become a master technician for VW in Wolfsburg. The injustices of the past sadden me, but Victor hasn’t let anything stop him. He’s risen above that and made the best of an adverse environment, helped along the way by Filpro. I take away from our discussion that the Filpro program has unearthed a hunger for entrepreneurship that continues to grow. Even though men and women like Victor might not have the answers now, there’s the prospect of going out and finding them. That hopeful pursuit is a success itself.
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Inspiration on another level!! He had the means and support from his father. What makes him successful is he created his own destiny. He could easily have followed his father in the Taxi business but rather paved his own journey. Well done!!! Well done!!! Well done!!!
Great story!! His dad laid the foundation with the thought that his son can one day think out of the box and go be better, And Victor did exactly that. It’s all about the mindset.
Well done Victor. I also had a father who was my best friend and supported me in what I wanted to do with my life. My parents didn’t have money to send me to study but it didn’t stop me. I funded myself in electrical but also landed up pursue mechanics in the end. I have never looked back. You are a true inspiration and there is no greater reward than handing down your knowledge to the younger ones, as I have also mentored quite a few students from Falsebay College who have gone on to have their own careers in mechanics. Be proud!
What an inspiration – never let the past predict your future. Your are a shining star and an example to the youth that anything is possible if you just put your mind to it. Hope your business will grow from strength to strength.
Well done Victor, u show others that u can make for yourself , keep it up.
Thanks to Filpro and Victor’s hard work and determination we are able to read another success story.
Well done Victor.
Well done Victor on choosing mechanical instead of becoming an auto electrician,sounds like you made the right decision as your story is one of a committed business owner going out to customers who cannot get to your premises,really inspired by your enthusiasm,well done to both you Victor and Filpro.
Well done Victor! hard work always pays off.
Well done Victor……Keep it up!!