Abel took gap once he’d learnt and saved cash
Building up client base was recipe for success
Pheli Auto Repairs owner Abel Molefe is a household name in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, where he plies his trade in his backyard workshop.
His workshop in Extension 4 is always teeming with regular and new clients referred to him by people he has helped.
The 48-year-old mechanic – Bra Abbey, as he is called – was 20 when he started working with cars in the township.
Learning the trade has not only put bread on the table but also took his eight children through school.
“My big break was in 1999 when I was employed as a full-time mechanic in a workshop in Boksburg.
“That is where I really built on the skill that I acquired while helping out mechanics in the township.”
Molefe said that he had a strong private client base while he was employed and earned more from the private jobs.
He said he grew the private client base because the workshop charged exorbitant prices to cover overheads, and cashstrapped clients would approach him on the side.
“We would exchange contact numbers for me to come fix their cars at home.
“I decided to quit in 2001 to work for myself and used the bit of money I had saved up to buy tools,” he said.
Soon his workshop was busy and he had to employ two assistants. In 2016, Molefe registered Pheli Auto Repairs to formalise his business.
He said the advantage of working from home was that his expenses were lower as there was no rent to pay.
“Also, you can work until any time you want or start work as early as you want because you literally live at work.
“The main disadvantage is working space and parking because I am on one of the main roads into the township.”
Molefe plans to open a restaurant for clients who become hungry while waiting for their vehicles to be fixed. It’s a venture he believes will open up more job opportunities and further boost the local economy in Atteridgeville.
“That is how you build a township economy. The other business opportunity I see is that of a car wash. These vehicles need a good wash after they have gone under the spanner and to remove oil smudges.
“The problem is space. There is a piece of vacant land that I am eyeing and I have already made inquiries with the municipality for a long-term lease.”
‘‘ I quit in 2001 to work for myself ... used money I had saved to buy tools