If you build it, they will come.
This is the motto Maleho Walter Mosieleng, owner of Walter’s Tyre Repair Centre in Bojanala, Rustenburg, repeats daily.
Mosieleng started his business three years ago based on the belief that there is a need for more high-quality tyre centres that are both affordable and easily accessible for the average South African.
“My goal is to build more workshops in South African townships and bring tyre services closer to the people,” he says. “I want to bring technological solutions at affordable rates to motorists from township to township in the next five years.”
The 26-year-old entrepreneur first discovered his passion for tyres while selling cement in 2017: “While I was busy with cement, I volunteered to help the guys who did tyres next to where I worked,” he recalls. “I fell in love with the trade and continued learning more and more about the tyre repair business.”
Mosieleng soon realised that this was his calling and saw the opportunity to start his own business. With a loan of R4 700 from his family, he set out on his own and opened up his own workshop. Since then, he has repaired, serviced and sold thousands of tyres to as many satisfied customers.
“Good customer care and the quality of our work makes us the most preferred tyre technicians in the area,” he says proudly “We hold a 100 per cent record for no return jobs or complaints from our customers.”
After matriculating from high school, Mosieleng attended a college where he completed his N4 and N5 in business management. He couldn’t complete his N6 due to financial difficulties at home, but says the skills he learnt there have been invaluable in running his own business.
With financial support from business development group Fetola, he was also able to buy new machinery that “really increased the value and sales of my business”.
The other pillar of support has been his family, for whom he has become the primary breadwinner. “I am the third of six children. My father passed on in 2011 while I was 17. None of them are in business but they have been supportive throughout this journey.”
Mosieleng’s goal now is to increase his stock volumes and to build more workshops in the Bojanala area. “Right now, I need to find a bigger place which will allow me to store more tyres and offer more services in the near future,” he says, adding that support from the community has been growing day by day.
The major hurdle his expansion plan faces is a lack of transport. “I need a vehicle so that I can collect stock purchases and be able to secure contracts with farmers and onsite contractors in the mines,” he explains. “There are always emergency tyre bursts, but I need to be able to get there quickly and bring along my tools.”
Despite this challenge, Mosieleng says his focus remains on looking after every customer as best possible, which he believes is the ultimate key to success. “Running a business is not just about making money,” he says. “I love the feeling I get after providing a satisfying and quality service to my customers. That feeling is everything and keeps me motivated.”
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Vehicle Maintenance and Repair