Johannes Sithole and his Volkswagen Crafter minibus.And if he had been given the right opportunities, his trajectory might have even followed a direction similar to those of local-turned-global automotive engineering icons like Gordon Murray or Elon Musk.
The specimen he shows me is modelled on a Volkswagen Crafter minibus – he only ever likes to use the Volkswagen emblem. But he is happy to build customer carts sporting other monikers. He buys the badges from scrap shops in the city. During hard lockdown in 2020, he was shown to a public swimming pool grounds that had been converted into a temporary homeless shelter.
In a good week, he says he receives more than 20 orders for various products. In the future, he hopes to upscale and formalise his business with fixed premises.